Moonlit Fate
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: Roa chose a different person to reincarnate in. Blood heralded his coming into the world, and now the Moon rises, casting its light over a city stained with blood and evil.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Prologue

Heavy footsteps thudded through the air as the priest made his way through the dilapidated old house, past rooms that had known better days and were now left to gather mold and dust, towards a locked and steel-reinforced door. The doorframe was also encased in steel, runes carved into the metal to further keep what was inside, inside.

The priest lifted the key from his pocket, fit it into the lock, and turned it to unlock the door. As it swung inwards, he raised his other hand, the gem it held flashing. The runes flashed in response, and with a sharp stink of copper let their vigilance down. The priest stepped inside, the gem in his hand dimly glowing and providing light as he made his way down old, dusty stairs to the basement below.

The house was located in the suburbs of the city, and had been purchased by his mentor ten years ago for the sake of the man's elder daughter. Although…calling it for 'her sake' would probably be pushing it. It wasn't a home after all. No one had ever lived in this house ever since Tokiomi Tohsaka had purchased it, and no laughter, no smiles, and no tears had ever graced it.

It was a prison, a place of convenience to lock away his greatest shame in the faint hope that somehow, in time, Rin Tohsaka could be saved of the curse that had been inflicted on her.

The man had died before he could find a way to save his daughter, and his student Kirei Kotomine had taken over the role of warden, making sure Rin Tohsaka was clean, feeding her with blood swiped from the blood bank…

…and making sure the chains which bound her were in good condition.

Today however…today was _special_.

Rin Tohsaka was slumped as usual on the floor, wrapped up in a straightjacket of consecrated cloth, black chains and a collar of thrice-forged, thrice-blessed meteoric iron binding her to the floor, the chains driven into the ground by blessed electrum stakes at forty-eight points around a circle of sealing. The magic of the seal expanded and grew with the prisoner, ensuring that it never needed to be taken off and replaced as she grew.

Ironic…considering vampires were supposed to be immortal and thus had no need to grow but then again, she was no ordinary vampire

Kirei's lips curled as he beheld the sight of the seventeen year-old vampire before him, the long dark hair falling to the ground the only part of her body exposed to him. Not that it really mattered seeing as the power of the seal paralyzed her completely.

 _How would her sister react should she learn of this darkest secret of her family?_

With a smile on his face, Kirei knelt down and grabbed hold of one of the blessed electrum stakes.

* * *

 _Is it alright? Letting her go like this?_

" _It's better this way._ " Rin replied to the voice in her head. The voice had always been there, offering advice when she needed it, warning her if she was about to make a mistake, and even just listening to her when she wanted to say something but couldn't say it.

It was after all, just another part of her. It was what she would eventually become, the magus she was meant to be, but because she also wanted to be a normal little girl her magus-self had become detached from her, becoming a voice in the back of her head.

It was a little frightening at first, but she'd gotten used to it. As the voice said, it was a part of her, and so it wouldn't and couldn't do anything to hurt her. And it was helpful, helping her get past several problems in her magecraft that had stumped her on her own.

If anything, that proved that the voice was in fact her magus-self, held back by her own weakness. It had shamed Rin a bit, but the voice assured her that as a child, it was understandable that she was holding back. She should enjoy her childhood, short as it was.

Because once she grew up, then the fun and games would end, and she'd have all the power of her family's magic and the responsibility that came with it to deal with.

With that in mind, it hadwarned her that in time she'd have to make a choice: to be normal or be a magus. A magus had to place the Art above everything else after all, and Rin wondered if she could really do something like that, or what kind of choices she'd be asked to make.

And now she had an example.

As she watched from a window her sister being led away by hollow-eyed men in suits to a waiting car, the voice spoke to her. " _How is it better this way?_ " it asked.

" _Sakura cannot become a magus._ " Rin replied, parroting her father's words. " _Only one in any generation can become a magus. Any more would risk unnecessary rivalry…_ "

" _That's what your father said._ " The voice interrupted her thoughts. " _What do you think?_ "

" _M-me? I…_ "

" _You won't just be a magus after all._ " The voice pointed out. " _You'll also be the head of your family after your father. You have to place the Art above everything else, but you're also just a Human. You will grow old and die._ "

" _What's your point?_ "

" _My point is you need your family to carry on your legacy that is the Art._ "

" _My father…our father knows best. I have to…_ "

" _You're thinking like an ordinary person._ " The voice interrupted her again. " _Think like a magus and look beneath the surface._ "

" _I am!_ " Rin angrily thought back. " _I know it's going to be hard for someone like Sakura. She…she's too timid…to be a magus. And she'll have to study another family's magic. That's even harder. But this way…this way she won't waste what talent she has…_ "

" _Do you really think that's the end of it?_ " the voice asked. " _Your sister is one year younger than you are. And don't deny it: those people look scary, don't they?_ "

" _Well yes but…_ "

" _Our sister is scared right now. Look at her. And she's going to have a hard time, without you or our mother to help her. Don't deny it: even with me, you still depend on mother and Sakura at times, don't you?_ "

Rin's thoughts fell silent, as she watched Sakura stop walking and look back at the house, at their _father_ with a longing expression on her face. " _Do you really think she'll thank us for it?_ " the voice asked.

" _She will understand._ "

" _Will she?_ " the voice asked. " _Magi are Human too, and you know enough that plenty of magi allow their emotions to get the better of them._ "

" _Sakura's not like that! She's a Tohsaka! We're better than that!_ "

" _No, she's not a Tohsaka anymore. She's Sakura Matou now._ "

Rin felt her heart freeze over. Again, the voice was right. Sakura had the talent like her, but she didn't _think_ like a magus. Well, neither did Rin _completely_ the voice was proof of that but…Sakura. Things would be very hard for her…if she gained a grudge…

…would she really come back for revenge?

" _You're smart enough to know the answer to that, my other self._ " The voice told her.

" _What can we do?_ " Rin asked, watching and biting her lip as the hollow-eyed man in a suit began to pull a weakly-struggling Sakura along. " _I can't just…and father…_ "

" _Father is easy. We're supposed to be the next head of the family after all aren't we? Assertiveness will impress him._ "

" _Well if you put it that way…_ "

" _Hmm…do you mind if I borrow our body for a bit?_ "

" _W-w-what?_ "

" _Trust me…trust yourself…I'll get our sister back…and we'll impress father…_ "

" _I…_ "

" _Don't you trust me?_ "

Rin froze, indecision curdling her thoughts. And then she saw Sakura stumble, the other girl turning and crying for her mother, her sister, and their father, that she didn't want to go. Rin made her decision.

" _I trust you._ "

" _Thank you._ "

Fire ripped through her body at those words, Rin collapsing to her knees to her mother's concern as she began breathing hard. It was…terrible. Magic was painful, like hot metal being stabbed into you, but this…it was nothing like this. It was like each and every last one of her nerves was being stabbed with white-hot needles, her bones felt like they were being crushed by muscles as they tightened and contorted against her will…

" _What are you doing?_ " she screamed in her mind. There was no answer, and she barely registered falling to the ground screaming and thrashing, her mother trying to calm her down. Through a haze of tears she saw her mother's terrified face and…and…and…

… _thirsty…_

She heard and felt blood pumping with every beat of her mother's heart.

… _thirsty…_

She could see the faint outline of blood vessels in her mother's neck, filled with rich, warm, healthy blood.

… _thirsty…_

She felt warmth with every touch of her mother's hands as she began to relax, catatonically staring up at her mother's face. Warm…warm…alive…

… _thirsty…I'm so thirsty…_

She could see and hear her mother trying to wake her up, a crimson haze blanketing her sight as hunger like nothing she'd ever felt before filled her. She dimly registered the burning in her body as her fingers contorted into claws, and her canines grew into fangs.

… _thirsty…I'm so thirsty…_ _ **I'M THIRSTY!**_

A second scream erupted from inside the house, and then another, and then another, each weaker than the last. The sound of Rin's screaming had frozen everyone outside, Sakura, the Matou henchmen, Tokiomi, Kirei, and even Zouken as he watched through an open car window.

Aoi Tohsaka's scream sent everyone moving.

"Mama!" Sakura shouted, struggling to run and forcing the man holding her arm to grab onto her shoulders and lift her off the ground. It would the last mistake he would ever make.

Glass shattered as a diminutive form burst out of the window, Kirei and Tokiomi jumping out of the way out of reflex as the small figure leapt across the intervening ground at blinding speed. The man barely had time to drop Sakura and show terror on his face before razor-sharp claws tore him to ribbons, blood and offal exploding around his killer.

Sakura screamed as she was drenched in blood, scampering away and running to her father. The other Matou henchmen rushed the little monster, only to meet the same fate. Again, everyone froze in horror as they beheld a blood and offal-covered Rin, her eyes burning red with fangs and claws bared as she stood over three bloody corpses.

"R-Rin?" Tokiomi stammered, holding his other daughter close as she cowered, holding tightly onto his leg. The girl turned her eyes to him, and his heart broke at the mindless hunger in those eyes.

 _How? How is this possible?_

Ichor exploded weakly as Rin crushed an organ in her hand, the rich fluid washing over her face and into her mouth, and she licked the blood off of her hands. And then everything exploded into motion once more.

"Sakura," Tokiomi said, barely aware of the tears running down his face. Somehow…despite the apparent insanity and impossibility of such a thing…his eldest had become a vampire. He didn't how it had happened. It just did. "Get inside. Go to your mother."

Sakura didn't hesitate to obey, running for the house as Kirei rushed towards Rin, Black Keys flashing in his hands. Grinning maniacally, Rin charged inside of his guard with surprising speed and landing a kick on his belly.

Even with her newfound strength it was barely enough to stagger Kirei…but the shock of lightning that came with it forced him instinctively back. As he fell back, Tokiomi rushed forward, throwing a kick at his daughter's head. She dodged and attacked, fluidly swiping at him with her claws.

Tokiomi dodged the first two swipes, and caught the third on his arms. Reinforced cloth tore like wet paper, Tokiomi falling back and diving low as Rin launched another attack. Stepping behind her he threw another kick at her. She caught it on her arms but it was enough to send her flying a good distance.

Rin landed on her feet, snarling as swarms of Matou familiars surrounded her. Claws flashed as she cut hundreds of them down in one blindingly-fast motion, and then she was choking on her own blood as Kirei charged in, landing a crushing blow on her chest. The sound of his daughter's ribcage caving in was like a dagger in Tokiomi's heart, and he looked away, his face twisted in agony as he felt hot tears out of his eyes.

Rin flew back, landing on the opposite of the street and lying in a slowly-growing puddle of blood.

Kirei relaxed, and turned towards Tokiomi. Zouken approached slowly, only to freeze as Tokiomi turned icily at him. "Matou-san," he said.

Zouken sighed, disappointment showing on his face. With Rin Tohsaka now dead there was no way Tokiomi would honor their agreement over his younger daughter. And Zouken had such plans for her…

The old man opened his mouth, and then the three of them turned to the house as a scream rang out. "Sakura…!" Tokiomi shouted as he ran for the house. Kirei made to follow, but he'd barely taken two steps before the sound of tearing flesh drew him back. He turned just in time to see Rin spitting out blackish ichor.

"You taste disgusting!" she spat at Zouken's twitching corpse, her claws dripping with the old man's fluids. Then she turned to Kirei and smiled, her fangs showing as she flexed her claws. "You won't kill me that easily, priest!"

Kirei fell into his stance, Black Keys flashing into existence. Rin grinned, and then lunged at him with claws flashing with blood and sunlight. Kirei dodged at the last moment, an elbow coming down with a sound of breaking bone as he smashed Rin to the ground. Metal flashed and the vampire screamed and shouted in frustration as Kirei pinned her bodily to the ground with his Black Keys.

He considered using the Baptismal Sacrament then and there, but he hesitated and looked towards the house. His master would probably want to investigate this development, impossible as it was.

Or was it?

Moans filled the air, and Kirei glanced around him as dead Matou henchmen rose to their feet. Black Keys flashed into existence, and then the priest moved to purge the Dead rising from their graves.

Meanwhile Tokiomi Tohsaka rushed into his house, where he met a scene of utter horror.

Sakura was on the ground, screaming as she tried to keep her mother off of her. Aoi was pale, deathly so, her eyes blank and staring as she pawed at her daughter, her mouth bared-wide to bite and tear. A horrendous wound dripping with blood and bits and pieces of torn organs ran across her torso, clearly fatal…

…and clearly showing what she was now: Dead.

Bellowing with loss and rage, Tokiomi rushed forward, smashing his wife's living corpse away from their daughter and sending it flying across the room. It slammed against a wall and slid down to the ground, and then with a moan it rose once more and staggered towards him.

" _Intensive Einascherung_ ," he whispered, looking away as flames engulfed his wife's corpse. It didn't stop her, the Dead staggering forward even as her hair and clothes turned to ash, and her flesh melted and ran like wax. It only stopped when tendons and ligaments finally burned away as well, Aoi skeleton smoldering and smoking away on the carpet before them.

Neither father nor daughter cared. They huddled together, holding tight to each other. "Mama…onee-san…" Sakura whispered, covered in blood as she cried and held tight to her father.

Tokiomi didn't say anything, crying in silence as he held his only remaining daughter. Everything he had held dear, everything he had hoped for…

…it was all gone.

Why?

Why did this happen?

How could this have happened?

* * *

"What mockery is this?" Rin Tohsaka demanded. The priest usually just unsealed her mouth to feed her blood, and then sealed it again.

Tonight though, he had unsealed her entire face. "Rejoice…!" Kirei Kotomine said. "For I come bringing a wonderful gift: freedom!"

"You expect me to believe that?" Rin spat.

"True…" Kirei conceded. "…freedom must be earned. But I believe that you may yet earn it. After all as the Overseer of the Holy Grail War, it is my responsibility to determine those worthy of the Holy Grail."

"What?"

Kirei smiled as he pulled back his sleeve, exposing the large array of command spells on his arm. "Tell me," he said solemnly. "Michael Roa Valdamjong: what is it that you want most?"

* * *

A/N

Yes, SHIKI isn't Roa. Rin is.

Seeing as my focus is primarily on _Different Fates_ updates will probably be long in the coming, though as stated in the profile, if I get flashes of inspiration I'll follow up on them. Which is basically what this work is, that is a flash of inspiration.

Not sure about pairings yet, but right now I'm leaning to love polygon with Shirou, Arc, Ciel, Sakura, and Saber. Any thoughts…?

Edited: May 28, 2017.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 1

 _Everything burned. The city burned. People burned. He kept walking. He walked past the fires and through ruins, ignoring the cries for help from all around him. He wasn't the only one there. But he kept walking. He walked past them._

 _He wasn't in a daze either, driven purely by primal instincts of survival. It hurt. Exposed skin reddened and cloth turned black from the heat of the flames around him. His chest hurt as smoke and soot entered his lungs. But he could think. The boy was perfectly aware of everything around him. Even so, he ignored the pleas for help and just kept on walking._

 _He didn't know who he was. He didn't know where he came from. He didn't know why he was even there. He couldn't find the answers. He couldn't remember them either, if he even knew._

 _All he knew was that he had to survive. He would survive, and live to see another day, while everyone else died. He would escape the pain and the suffering where others would not. He was a sinner, and he would know it later on._

 _He would never forget._

 _He kept on walking._

 _But as night gave way to the morning, the flames began to die, and rain began to fall. The flames died, and smoke and steam rose from hissing ruins. The pain was still there. But he was alive. He'd lived to see another day. But the will to live that had driven him for so long was also spent, and the boy fell to the ground._

 _He'd come this far. It was enough, wasn't it? He'd left so many behind to die, just for this moment. Now that he'd done that, perhaps…perhaps it was his turn?_

 _Darkness began to fall across the boy's eyes, but as he closed his eyes he felt footsteps approach._

 _He wasn't alone. Someone else was there. He opened his eyes, seeing a dark-haired man weeping from desperate eyes as he looked down upon him. They weren't tears of sorrow though. The tears…the man's face…it was as though he'd found something incredibly priceless, something that he'd been searching for his entire life._

 _The man did something. The boy felt something warm creep across his body, and began to feel better. The man picked him up and held him close, the rain continuing to fall around them._

"Sempai…sempai…Emiya-sempai…"

Shirou Emiya opened his eyes, sitting up abruptly and causing the girl standing next to him to take a step back in surprise. "Sakura?" he asked, and the girl in question smiled down at him.

"Good morning, senpai." Sakura Tohsaka greeted him, and he smiled back.

"Good morning."

"Breakfast should be ready soon but," Sakura said before pausing and looking around them. "You should take a shower before Fujimura-sensei arrives. If she finds out that you fell asleep in here again…"

"Yes, yes," Shirou said, scrambling to his feet and patting himself clean. "I get it, Tohsaka-sempai."

Sakura blinked and flushed. "Stop that." she said. "It's true that I'm the senior magus between us, but…"

Shirou laughed and taking her by the shoulders, turned her around and gently pushed her out ahead of him. "I know, I know." he said, closing and locking the storehouse (and technically his workshop) door behind them. "Given I'm older by a year and one grade ahead of you it's inappropriate."

"Then why?"

"Just teasing," he answered, and Sakura pouted at him.

"You're mean sempai." She said, and he laughed.

"Sorry," he said. "Well I'm going to take a shower. Are you sure you can handle breakfast by yourself?"

"Of course I can."

"Well then,"

Sakura nodded, and Shirou went off to take a shower while Sakura headed back to the kitchen.

* * *

"Shirou, you're slow!" Taiga Fujimura immediately retorted as Shirou arrived.

"Now, now sensei," Sakura said while filling Taiga's rice bowl. "Sempai worked late last night on his schoolwork. I found him asleep at his desk this morning, so don't be too hard on him."

"Hmm," Taiga hummed, crossing her arms and thinking it over with her eyes closed. And while she did so, Sakura quickly gave Shirou a wink and a smile. He just as quickly nodded his thanks to her. "Oh alright, its schoolwork so I suppose I can let it go."

"You know you say that each and every time I fall asleep over schoolwork." Shirou said testily. Of course, he had never _actually_ fallen asleep over schoolwork that was just the excuse Sakura gave for him whenever he got late to breakfast after oversleeping. "I wish you'd remember that the next time it happens."

"I do remember." Taiga said haughtily. "Except without Sakura-chan vouching for you I'd assume you probably fell asleep at that 'base' of yours. You used to do that quite a few times up until a couple of years ago."

" _He still does actually._ " Sakura thought. Not that she'd ever rat Shirou out for such a small matter: friends didn't do that to friends.

As for them being friends, well they'd only ever been schoolmates, until Sakura was asked by Taiga to help Shirou out with housework a year or so ago when he fell sick, and they'd befriended each other in a couple of days. Even after he recovered, she still came over to help him out regularly, though she drew the line at actually staying overnight.

 _It's better than spending most of my time cooped up in an empty house._

Of course the first time she caught him asleep in the morning in the storehouse, she'd have to be blind to not notice the big magic circle carved into the floor. " _I'm not a magus._ " Shirou had told her when she confronted him over it afterwards. " _And even if I were, I didn't know this city had a Supervisor. That's the only excuse I'll give, Sakura._ "

" _But you can use magic, can't you?_ "

" _A little yeah, but dad always said that I had little to no chance of being a magus. What little I could do…yeah, he told me to practice whenever I could and wanted to, but that I shouldn't get too caught up in it._ "

" _Reinforcement, Gradation Air, and Alteration,_ " Sakura thought in the present as she remembered part of their talk back then. " _Those are basic spells that most magi would find…mundane. Not that I could really talk about things like that._ "

Blinking as she cleared her mind, she directed her attention to the snapping back and forth between Taiga and Shirou. "Really," she said. "Senpai, sensei, please don't fight over the breakfast table. That's bad luck, don't you know?"

"That's just superstition Sakura-chan."

"Don't be so dismissive of superstition sensei." Sakura protested. "One reason superstitions last for so long is well, because they're grounded in fact. Not all of them probably…most of them actually…but…"

"You never know which one of them might be that rare superstition that actually was tried and found true by our ancestors." Taiga finished. "Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Well, yes."

Taiga sighed. "Really Sakura-chan," she said. "As usual whenever you say something like that, you've always got a point."

Sakura smiled with a faint blush, and scratched the back of her head. "Well enough about that," Taiga said. "In any case it _is_ rude to fight over a meal, so let's get back to eating shall we? It's getting cold too."

"You were the one who started it." Shirou murmured, and Sakura shot him a disapproving look.

"Senpai…"

"Yes, yes."

* * *

"Hey Sakura?"

"Hmm? What is it?" Sakura asked as she and Shirou walked to school. Taiga had – as usual – gone on ahead of them, rushing off after breakfast screaming about one thing or another that she'd forgotten to do. Shirou and Sakura had cleaned up, and then had gone to school together.

"About the thing you mentioned about superstition earlier," Shirou said. "Is it really true? I mean given the importance of secrecy and all that…"

"Well actually," Sakura began while thinking over the matter briefly. "Most superstitions are well, unbelievable. There are a few that are based in reality though."

"Such as?"

Sakura giggled before prancing over in front of Shirou with a playful smile, her red cloak billowing around her. "They say witches always have a familiar don't they?" she said. "And they can give you the evil eye if they want to."

" _In other words,_ " Shirou thought as Sakura winked and walked away ahead of him. " _Magi familiars and mystic eyes among others…_ "

Smiling at her response he briefly sped up to catch up with her. "About secrecy," Sakura said as he caught up. "Well remember that belief plays a role with what we do. Even if most 'believers' are just ordinary people, it'll still have an effect on the World. There's a reason the Church's power is…well, global."

"I see."

Sakura nodded. "That's why the powers-that-be leave superstitions alone." She said. "As long as no details get out, why bother? It might even help us all."

Shirou nodded, and as the numbers of fellow students grew as they approached Homurahara Acadamy, they stayed quiet on the matter. Or any other matter at all, Shirou and Sakura walking to school in friendly silence together.

"Hey Emiya…! Tohsaka…!" a loud voice hailed them as they approached the gate, Ayako Mitsuzuri waving a hand in the air in greeting.

"Good morning Mitsuzuri." Shirou greeted her as they arrived.

"Good morning sempai." Sakura did likewise.

"Good morning." Ayako said with a grin. Said grin quickly vanished however as the three of them walked together into the school. "Anyway good timing I've something I'd like to ask you Emiya."

"Oh, what's that?"

"It's that Shinji again!" Ayako said angrily. "A couple of meetings ago and he forced the newbies onto the range and teased and taunted them until they finally got a hit. That so many of our club are girls who like to follow him around didn't help matters at all."

"Shallow," Sakura said with quiet derision. "What do they see in him?"

"No idea." Ayako replied from Shirou's other side. "Come to think of it, didn't he confess to you at one point? And you slapped him for it?"

"Sempai," Sakura admonished. "Is it really necessary to bring that up?"

"Yes, yes," Ayako said apologetically. "Sorry, sorry…still as people who know how pushy he can be…"

" _The nerve,_ " Sakura thought darkly. " _He's definitely not my type. Especially after he actually tried to grab me by the shoulders when I decided to walk away…_ "

"…keeps running away whenever I tried to confront him over it." Ayako said. "And I'm the captain for gods' sakes. I've got other things to do, and short of telling on Fujimura-sensei I've only you to ask to talk to him over this Emiya."

"No need," Sakura said. "I'll talk to Uncle Kariya. I did the same after he actually tried to manhandle me so…"

"You'd actually tell on him?" Shirou said. "Again? I heard his uncle gave him a loud talking-to, and might have cuffed him a few times on the back of the head if his attitude for a while after that was any sign."

"Just because a woman refuses a man it doesn't give him the right to manhandle her." Sakura pointed out. "And just because they're new and unskilled it still doesn't give someone with skill and experience the right to bully them like so. Especially as from the sound of things he only did it to impress and amuse those shallow girls who follow him around. People who think like that need to be taught a lesson."

"I have to agree with Sakura on this count." Ayako said, nodding. "On all counts actually…"

"While I agree with what Sakura says," Shirou said dryly. "Vindictiveness isn't really right either. And from the look of things that's your real motive for telling on Shinji to his uncle."

"It's not vindictiveness." Ayako said primly with her hands on her waist. Sakura looked puzzled at that.

"It isn't?" she asked to which Shirou winced.

"Of course not…!" Ayako said with a smile and a wink. "It's discipline!"

"Oh I see! Yes, let's go with that sempai!" Sakura agreed with her before sharing a laugh afterwards. Shirou just groaned and palmed his face at their antics.

* * *

"Shinji…!"

Shinji Matou turned at the shout, and with a smirk turned and relaxed against a wall as Shirou ran up to him. "What is it Emiya?" he asked. "What's so important that you had to come running up to me?"

"Well it's nothing important really," Shirou replied. "I just wanted to ask you how things are going for you at the _kyuudo_ club that's all."

"Is that so?" Shinji asked, turning to walk away with Shirou walking alongside him. "Well I don't think it's really any business of someone who left the club, but alright I'll tell you. I've been polishing my scores nicely I mean, it's me after all."

"I see." Shirou said. "Well I'm glad things are going well for you then. Anyway if you need help with anything just ask, alright?"

"Sure, sure," Shinji said and waved him off as Shirou turned back the way he came. "I'm not sure if I'll really ever need your help with anything at all, but I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright then."

Shinji continued on his way to the cafeteria for lunch, but just as he was about to turn the corner into the stairwell a final shout from Shirou made him stop. "Shinji," Shirou said with an apologetic expression on his face. "Just so you have time to brace yourself,"

Shirou paused uncomfortably, and Shinji raised an eyebrow. "What is it Emiya?" he said. "Spit it out already."

"Sorry," Shirou said. "But Mitsuzuri's been talking about the newbies to Sakura and well, apparently she's going to tell your uncle."

Shinji paled, Shirou smiled weakly. "Sorry," he said with a bow. "I just thought you should know."

Shinji nodded weakly, and Shirou walked off. The moment his back was turned Shinji's face twisted with rage. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" he spat angrily as he stormed down the stairs. As he reached the landing below he punched the wall and ignored the resulting pain. "That selfish bitch, damn it, damn it, gods damn it!"

* * *

Shirou walked down the street sometime after school, the golden light of the afternoon shining down around him as he walked to his usual haunt where he idled away the time between classes ending for the day and the start of his shift at his part-time job. He accidentally bumped past a blonde woman in a white blouse and a long purple skirt, and he stopped to face her.

"Sorry," he said with a small bow. "That was my fault. I should have been paying attention to where I was going."

The woman nodded at him and then continued on her way, Shirou staring after her. Was it just his imagination or just the light playing with his eyes, but were her eyes _red_ and _slit_ like a cat's? He thought over it briefly and decided to dismiss it as a trick of the light. He turned and continued on his way, until a few minutes later and he arrived at the park.

As usual it was deserted, the park a dusty expanse of baked earth with a few patches of stunted grass and a few small, stunted trees here and there. And as usual he wondered if the park – supposed to be a memorial to all the people who died there ten years ago – couldn't have been made more attractive.

" _Or maybe it just can't?_ " he thought, remembering his little talk with Sakura about superstitions earlier that day. " _Don't they say that places where people died or great tragedies occurred are left scarred and haunted by what happened?_ "

Shirou looked around him, remembering the smoking ruins and burnt corpses around here when Kiritsugu had found and saved him. It might not have been the same spot, but it was definitely around here.

He sighed and sitting on a bench looked up into the afternoon sky. A breeze blew briefly, ruffling his hair. "It's so quiet here too." He said softly. "In other parks, even this early the crickets can be heard. Here though, it's just the wind and the sound of the cars in the distance."

He sighed again and leaned forward with his arms crossed over his lap. As the wind blew stronger, he realized that even its sound and those of cars and other vehicles nearby were curiously muted in this place, as though the very air and ground resisted the intrusion of anything that could alleviate in any way the regret and grudge of everyone who died there.

" _It's probably why nothing grows here._ " Shirou thought glumly. " _Or why so few people visit…usually those who had friends and family who died…or me…_ "

Shirou had heard that even those few others felt…put off, by this place. Strangely – or not – he never felt that way here…ever.

But then again…it might be said that he had 'died' here. The boy he had once been…everything he was and could have been had died here, leaving behind an empty husk for Kiritsugu to find.

That husk would become Shirou Emiya, but even so…

…there was no reason for him to feel unwelcome in the place where he had 'died' and been 'born'. He was one of them after all.

Slowly, the afternoon light began to fade. And still Shirou Emiya continued to sit on that bench in the desolate park, looking blankly ahead of him as his thoughts wandered back to that day ten years ago.

* * *

The doors to the church slowly swung inwards, admitting the schoolgirl inside before creaking closed behind her. Two people awaited her, a man and a woman, a priest and a priestess. The former was tall and dark-haired with stoic and resolute features marked by clouded, unreadable eyes. The latter was a dark-haired woman of average height, her pretty, bespectacled face offset by its surprisingly adolescent appearance.

And yet…Sakura found herself fighting an urge to _run_ from the priestess. It was like ten years ago, when her sister had gone…insane, for lack of a better word. Despite her harmless appearance, Sakura knew that the priestess could kill her without breaking a sweat or even bat an eyelid afterwards.

"Welcome Sakura," Kirei Kotomine said. "We have been expecting you."

"I don't see why not." Sakura said. "You were the one who called this meeting after all. So what needs attending to?"

Kirei's lips curled into a smile. "Sakura Tohsaka," he said. "Allow me to introduce you to my associate, Ciel of the Burial Agency. Miss Ciel, or as you are sometimes known _Bow_ , this is the Association Supervisor for Fuyuki City and our…covert affiliate, Sakura Tohsaka."

Sakura's eyes flew wide, and Kirei's smile grew ever so slightly. Ciel gave Sakura a small nod of her head, which the magus hastily returned. "Miss Ciel is here to deal with certain complications." Kirei continued. "It seems that Nrvnqsr Chaos has come to Fuyuki City in pursuit of the White Princess, who it seems is also in the general vicinity."

"Nrvnqsr Chaos?" Sakura gaped. "The White Princess? Are you serious?"

 _Blood…screams…her sister covered in and drinking blood…her mother dead and yet alive, hungrily pawing and grabbing at her…_

Sakura blinked, suddenly finding herself being held up by the priestess from collapsing to the ground. "Are you alright?" the priestess asked. "You almost collapsed just now."

"I…I'm alright," Sakura said with a hand on a pew to help her regain her balance. "I just…I just remembered something."

"Is that so?" Ciel asked, but didn't press the issue.

"In any case," Kirei said. "There's no need to worry about the White Princess, at least not at this point. She is if anything incredibly efficient, appearing only to focus on her quarry before returning to slumber within the Millennium Castle. So long as one does not oppose her, then she will not be an issue. As always, she will seek to destroy her quarry with minimum cost and then depart. Also, even if she _is_ a vampire, as a True Ancestor it is not her aim _at all_ to consume blood."

Sakura said nothing, and after a moment's pause Kirei continued. "Of course the possibility still exists that she would lose control and drink blood." he said. "In that case Miss Ciel here is to ensure in that…improbable event, that things will be kept contained."

Sakura glanced at Ciel and narrowed her eyes. " _Burial Agent or not,_ " she thought. " _I have serious doubts that even she is capable of taking on the White Princess, last and most powerful of the True Ancestors, should she lose control and become a Demon Lord…or Demon Lady considering her gender. If that happens…God help us all._ "

Ciel met Sakura's gaze levelly, and after a moment she turned her eyes back to Kirei. "However as I said that is a most improbable outcome." He said. "The bigger issue here is Nrvnqsr Chaos. As a Dead Apostle, and an ancestor no less, he will undoubtedly seek to consume blood as a matter of course."

"That much is obvious." Sakura said, fighting panic rising within. A hand moved to clutch at her right arm, and Kirei raised an eyebrow. "The question is what are we going to do about it? Keep in mind the current circumstances of this city as well."

"Indeed," Kirei agreed. "It would be better for all concerned if this matter were resolved quickly before unforeseen…complications, appear."

"I quite agree." Ciel said with a nod. "Let's not dawdle any further: Miss Tohsaka, you were called here to be informed about the current situation, as a matter of both courtesy and formality. With that said, now that official…requirements are met, it is best that this matter be left to me. I am more than capable of repulsing Nrvnsqr Chaos on my own, and keeping an eye on the White Princess until she returns to the Millennium Castle. Your cooperation and discretion with regards to operational matters will be most appreciated. Well then,"

With a nod Ciel made to leave, brushing past Sakura who glanced at Kirei. The priest gave her an inscrutable look, and she turned back to Ciel. "The situation is not nearly as simple as that." She said as Ciel reached the doors.

The priestess froze as she was about to pull them open. "I do not recall _requesting_ your cooperation and discretion, Supervisor." She said, and silencing Sakura as the magus fought to keep control.

"You did not." Kirei said, noting Sakura struggling to fight panic at the Burial Agent's cold tone. "But I told you, didn't I? The Fifth Holy Grail War has already begun. It's only a matter of time before open battles between Masters and Servants begin."

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"No doubt you are," Kirei agreed. "But there are Masters and then there are Servants. With respect Miss Ciel, please do not underestimate the power of the latter. I am aware of your…talents, but even Servants may prove to be…"

"Your concerns are noted and appreciated." Ciel interrupted. "However the Holy Grail War has no real concern to me. The Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor is, as is the White Princess. Do not misunderstand: I am not dismissing the possible threat posed by Servants interfering with my duty. However, that is even more reason why I should finish my business here and be on my way before things get even more complicated from here on out."

Ciel looked over a shoulder at Sakura and Kirei who stayed silent. She gave a small nod. "I take my leave." She said, opening the door and leaving through them, the doors closing heavily behind her.

Kirei turned his attention to Sakura, who collapsed into a pew breathing heavily and wiping at her sweating brow. "Yet another panic attack?" he asked, and she glared at him. He brushed it off, and irritation turned to resignation.

"Yes," she said. "It's another panic attack."

"It's been a while since you had one of those."

"Years," Sakura said. "I remember back when small cuts and raw meat would paralyze me. But I thought I'd gotten over them…"

"Do not be ashamed." Kirei told her. "After what happened ten years ago, it's no surprise that it would leave scars behind. Even if nothing can be seen on the surface, on the inside, in more ways than one…"

"What do you want me to do Kirei?" Sakura asked. "Wish for the Grail to change things so the past never happened? Do you take me to be that shallow?"

"Not at all," Kirei said with a smile. "And what you wish for is your own business. However, this Holy Grail War is an opportunity beyond that of simple wishes."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't ask stupid questions." Kirei said with a wave of his hand. "War changes people. It makes them face their fears, destroys their preconceptions and illusions, brings out the best and the worst in them, and most importantly _it makes them overcome their weaknesses_ if they are to survive."

Sakura stared at the priest who smiled at her. "Take your father's catalyst." He said. "Bring forth the King of Heroes or indeed any worthy Heroic Spirit once more into the world, both before the classes best suited for combat are taken by others, and before an opportunistic Master takes advantage of you."

The smile grew as the priest paused. "Or for that matter," he added. "Before a vampire does."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, and sighing lowered her head in thought. Kirei looked on in silence, watching as a hand rubbed the sleeve over her right arm, and under the cloth her command spells. After several moments she nodded. "Maybe you're right," she said softly. "The war is an opportunity, both in terms of the offered prize and what comes with the war. But…"

"You are concerned with how it might change you?" Kirei asked, and he chuckled at her nod. "The way the war affects you personally will depend entirely on you, Sakura. War is merely a crucible after all. The actions, words, and deeds of others are factors too, but ultimately it is how you choose to respond and how you choose to forge your way that will determine what comes out of the crucible in the end."

Sakura lowered her head in thought, and Kirei briefly closed his eyes before turning to leave. "You are free to think on my advice," he said. "But do not take too much time: as I said, the war has already begun. Soon, you'll have to make a choice. And no matter what choice you make, there will be no turning back."

With a smile Kirei left, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts in his church.

* * *

A/N

Someone mentioned saving RIN…how…? They couldn't save SHIKI in canon and Ciel…Ciel's case is a 'special snowflake' and you people need to remember that her immortality is as much a curse as it is a blessing.

Yes, that was Arc Shirou bumped into. No, she's not OOC. She had no emotions until Shiki killed her in canon, and the same holds true here. How she becomes the airhead we all know and love…you'll see.

Edited: May 28, 2017.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 2

"Thanks for the hard work!"

Shirou cheerfully waved behind him as the door closed, and he took a deep breath before turning and beginning to walk down the street. He'd been late for his part-time job, having spent too much time brooding at the memorial park. Thankfully though he rarely if ever got late, and together with his habit of doing more than what was expected of him (and doing what others were supposed to do), his employer was more than willing to cut him some slack.

" _She didn't have to make gossip out of it though._ " Shirou suddenly thought, remembering his employer smirking as she told him that if he wanted some time off to spend with his girlfriend all he had to do was ask.

Sighing at the tendency of older women to tease younger men in their employ Shirou picked up the pace, taking his usual, quieter route towards the train station to avoid the worst of the night crowd. A glance at his wristwatch showed that being late for work – and his insistence on working the amount of time he was expected to – meant that he would also be coming home late.

" _Should I find a payphone?_ " he asked himself. " _I'm already late as it is, so it's probably better if I call Sakura and Fuji-nee to have dinner without me._ "

Sighing again, he jogged over to a street map at a bus stop at a nearby corner. He studied the map for several moments, and finding a public payphone made for it. It was a bit of a long walk and quite a bit out of the way, but a few minutes or so more to his travel time wouldn't get him home earlier so it didn't really matter.

Turning a corner he took a shortcut down an alley before turning another corner into a quiet side street in the city's interior. The public phone booths were brightly-lit a good way down the street, and Shirou made for them. He'd barely taken a couple of streets when he felt…something behind him.

Slowly turning his head at the faint tingling sensation in the air, he found himself staring at a pale-skinned, red-eyed little girl with platinum-blonde hair and rich purple clothing, smiling happily at him. Shirou neither moved nor said anything, his instincts contradicting each other as they told him that the girl was both a threat and not a threat at the same time.

He stayed that way as the girl walked towards and past him. He stayed frozen in place as the girl spoke up with a soft, childish voice. "It's more dangerous than expected." she said. "You should summon one soon onii-chan, or you're going to die."

Shirou blinked, and whirled to confront the girl. Only…there was no one else in the street apart from him.

Shirou blinked again, and he looked wildly around him. " _Magic?_ " he thought as he slowly made his way towards the payphones. " _That sounded like a warning but about what? And what's more dangerous than expected? What did she want me to summon?_ "

Troubled by the strange happening, Shirou stepped up in front of a payphone, and lifted the phone from its cradle while inserting a coin into the coin slot. He dialled his home number and waited while the phone rang. And then it clicked, a familiar soft-spoken voice speaking.

"This is the Emiya residence, Sakura Tohsaka speaking. May I help you?"

"Sakura,"

"Sempai…! What's this all of a sudden?"

"Yeah about that," Shirou said, beginning to calm down. "Look I'll be home late, so you and Fuji-nee can eat without me alright?"

For a moment there was silence, and then Shirou heard a sigh across the phone. "You did other people's work again, didn't you?" Sakura said with a note of exasperation. "Sempai I respect you being helpful to others, but you really shouldn't go this far."

"It's going too far?"

"Sempai look at the time." Sakura answered. "Kids like us shouldn't be out so late."

"Kids," Shirou echoed blankly before giving a short laugh. "Really, Sakura?"

There was an amused snort from the other end, and then she spoke up again. "Okay I get your point." She said. "Anyway I don't think we should take about this – again – over a payphone. Stay safe sempai."

"I will." Shirou said. "I'm heading home now, but you and Fuji-nee eat already, alright?"

"We will so bye."

"Bye." Shirou said, replacing the phone. He sighed as he stepped back from the payphone, conceding that maybe Sakura – and Fuji-nee – had a point about him doing other's work for them. Though usually it didn't make him that late, usually only on particularly busy nights…

…and nights like tonight, when he got held up either at school or at the memorial park…

Turning, he slung his schoolbag over a shoulder and made to go back to the main road…and he reeled.

It wasn't that strong really in fact he could barely smell it at all. But it was there, so…barely, that he could be forgiven for dismissing it as a trick of the mind or a chemical leak or something nearby.

And if not for his past experiences, he'd have done just that.

But no, he was Shirou Emiya. He'd walked through burning ruins as a boy, past dead and dying bodies screaming and crying for help. He knew what it was, and the fact that he could smell it despite nothing evidently wrong nearby meant that it was far away.

And if he could smell so little of it from so far away, it could only mean that a lot of blood had been spilled.

"Trace…on…" Shirou said, feeling the familiar numbness spreading through his body as he opened his magic circuits. In the past he'd turned his nerves into short-lived, low-quality magic circuits, which would eventually have crippled him. Needless to say, once Sakura witnessed him doing so, she'd been appalled.

" _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Sakura all but screamed at him._

 _The two of them were in the school library, Shirou fixing a broken water dispenser at the Student Council's behest. Sakura already knew then of his being a spell-caster, though once she'd informed him of the obligations and responsibilities – magus or spell-caster it didn't matter – that came with his abilities she let him to do as he pleased._

" _Do you have to shout?" Shirou asked her before turning back to the water dispenser. "I'm using…structural analysis, I think it's called, to find out what's wrong with this so I can fix it. I know magi shouldn't really dabble with mechanical matters but I…"_

" _That's not the point sempai." Sakura interrupted while mentally-counting to ten. "A mediocre magus like me has no right to criticize what a spell-caster like you does, but as a friend I can't just stand by and do nothing!"_

 _Shirou stared blankly at her. "Huh?" he managed, and Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose._

" _Sempai," she said. "Why are you mutilating your nerves like so? At this rate you'll end up crippling yourself, or worse!"_

 _Shirou continued to stare blankly. "How else am I supposed to use magic?" he asked._

" _You open your magic circuits of course."_

" _Isn't that what I did?"_

 _Sakura palmed her face, and took a deep breath. "Look," she said. "No offense sempai, but from the look of things you're pretty much a fraud."_

" _I can't help it." Shirou said more than a bit sourly. "Dad was sick. He couldn't teach me much before he died, and I told you I didn't have much potential to begin with."_

 _Sakura fell silent as professional anger and exasperation turned to regret. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to…"_

" _It's alright." Shirou said with a reassuring smile. "Let's move on shall we?"_

 _Sakura nodded, and then sighed. "Alright," she said. "…I can't teach you anything – the issue of family secrets aside I can barely teach anything to anyone – but at least I can help you open your circuits properly. Can you come by my house later tonight? I'll treat you to dinner at my place if you want."_

" _I don't want to…"_

" _You don't want to cause trouble, I know." Sakura interrupted with a small smile. "Still I eat over at your place all the time, don't I? Consider it returning the favour."_

" _Alright, alright," Shirou said, giving in. "What about Fuji-nee though?"_

 _For a moment Sakura was silent. And then she shrugged before scratching her head. "Eh," she fumbled. "We'll think of something."_

" _In the end,_ " Shirou said as he ran down the street with his entire body reinforced as best he could. " _We ended up eating dinner at my house so as to not leave Fuji-nee out. Still, thanks to Sakura, using magic is easier and needs less prana with properly-opened circuits._ "

Shirou came to a halt in front of an ominously-dark apartment building. A simple bounded field was in place, and while he couldn't know what it was made for, it was obvious that it was meant to keep people out. It meant that magi were involved, and a prudent person – especially with his level of skill – would have probably retreated then.

Especially with the sharp stink of blood from outside reaching Shirou's nose, to say nothing of the bloody drag marks from the guard house and into the apartment. "Bastards," Shirou whispered while looking around for anything that could be used as a weapon. His eyes fell on a broom leaning on the inside of the outer wall, and he entered the apartment grounds and grabbed it. "This will do."

A kick broke off the broom's head, and he closed his eyes as focused on the stick in his hand. " _Components analysed…fundamental structure analysed…composition reinforced…_ " he thought, opening his eyes to see the wood-turned-metal of the makeshift weapon in his hand. " _You won't get away with this whoever you are!_ "

Following the drag marks towards the back and the loading bays, Shirou briefly staggered and gagged at the sheer stink of blood and gore as he approached. At the same time, the sound of doglike growls and heavy scuffling and moving could be heard from inside. Taking a deep breath, Shirou ran around the corner. His eyes widened.

There were four of them, black, doglike things too large to be natural, to say nothing of the burning red of their eyes. Mangled corpses littered the concrete floor, and blood was everywhere.

More blood dripped from the beasts' maws as they turned on Shirou, and was liberally smeared and matted on their fur. And despite the deep stench of blood and gore, Shirou could still feel the magic in the air.

 _Familiars…or something like it…_

The beasts growled, spreading out to surround their prey, ready to pounce as it fled. It didn't go as they expected though, as instead of running Shirou screamed angrily as he charged in. The beasts were surprised, allowing Shirou to brain the two in the centre before the two to the flanks charged in.

Shirou brained a third beast, before narrowly-avoiding the fourth beast's pounce. He struck hard, the angle dispersing his strength and preventing a clean kill, but it threw the monster off-balance long enough for Shirou to strike again…again…and again, until the thing was reduced to a bloody corpse on the ground.

Shirou staggered back, breathing heavily at the adrenaline shock. His eyes turned to the mangled Human corpses, and he fought back the urge to hurl. Ignoring the prudent thoughts that surfaced in his mind, he made for the service door and entered further into the building.

He quietly moved through the corridors, the overhead lights dead and only his reinforced eyes letting him see where he was going. He pushed them all, his reinforced senses to the limit, hearing every echo and feeling every shift in the air for the coming enemy, even as he smelled and tasted the death hanging heavy in the air.

" _Monstrous,_ " he thought as he carefully looked around a corner. " _Who would do such a thing? That girl…was her warning about this? Was she involved in this?_ "

Swallowing dryly at the thought of such a little girl involved in such brutality as had taken place, he quietly crept over to the corridor's other side. He flipped a switch a couple of times to no effect: the power had been cut it seemed.

The sound however drew the attention of another trio of beasts, who emerged from rooms ahead of him, growling and glaring menacingly at him. Shirou held his weapon low and waited for them to strike first. And they did.

They charged at him, and he brained the first two one after another as they came at him. Like the monsters they were, they didn't even whimper or whine like normal dogs would have at being struck.

The third was fast though, and it bit down on Shirou's left arm with the crunch of breaking bone and warm spurts of blood. Shirou bit back a scream, and hammered at it with his weapon, beating it to death even as it let go and collapsed wetly to the ground.

Shirou slumped against the wall, clutching at his broken and bleeding arm. He finally realized that he was probably in over his head, and that maybe he should have gotten help…and should while he still could.

" _If these are familiars,_ " he thought as he struggled to his feet. " _Then their master will know I came in through the rear, and will probably expect me to leave the same way. If I'm to get out of here, it's probably smarter to go out from the front._ "

Briefly laying down his weapon to fashion a tourniquet around his left arm and to wipe his right hand and weapon dry, Shirou then moved quickly but quietly to the lobby. He paused at the office rooms along the way, and again fought the urge to vomit at the chewed-up and half-eaten corpses (to say nothing of the spilled blood and gore) inside.

Finally he reached the lobby, and carefully looking around a corner spotted two of the beasts pacing in front of the big glass doors. The stairs and opposite hallway – from what he could see – were empty, and there was no one behind the lobby desk. He could see blood, and Shirou clenched his right hand around his weapon.

 _Let's do this._

Taking a deep breath, he ran for the door with his weapon the ready. The monsters started and then ran to meet him. With speed born of magic, desperation, and adrenaline, Shirou smashed them aside…and then was crushed to the ground as a third monster, far heavier than the doglike things he'd faced so far, pounced on him from the back where it had been hiding behind the desk.

He screamed as he felt something rake deep into his back, deep enough to expose bone. At the same time, he felt fire rip through him, like hot metal searing into his flesh as…something, responded to the abuse being inflicted on his body. Whatever it was it surprised the monster on top of him, the creature reeling back and allowing Shirou to throw it off with strength that he should not have.

Moving on instinct, he pounced, driving his weapon into the bearlike thing's maw as it sought to snap at his face. From the corner of his eye Shirou barely noticed that the monster's claws looked like they'd been torn out, and barely noticed the extra weight on his back.

 _The claws had caught on something, something in him, and held onto them so tightly it tore the monster's claws off._

Pulling out his weapon, Shirou fell back, swinging once as another dog thing leapt at him from the shadows. And behind it came more, so many of them swarming down the stair and hallway with slavering mouths and blood-matted fur. One of them pinned him down, and Shirou's eyes bulged as he felt his neck get torn out.

He couldn't breathe, feeling instead his own blood pouring into his lungs and spilling out of him from his ruined neck. He couldn't scream as the creatures bit into and pulled at his limbs, or rip his belly open. He couldn't do anything as they bit into and gouged his entrails out, a red haze and a shadow falling over his sight.

As darkness fell, he barely registered the beasts falling back with growls of mixed fear and warning, and soft footsteps falling behind him.

* * *

Red eyes…blond hair…a white blouse and purple skirt…the beasts growled at the newly-arrived woman, who looked at them with a complete lack of interest. In a way, without any scent of danger from her and yet so obviously dangerous in her presence, the newly-arrived woman could be said to be even more monstrous than what she faced.

She ignored the dying boy who lay on the lobby floor.

She ignored the presence of the priestess fighting with the Dead Apostle on the upper floors, instead focusing on his minions here on the ground.

She didn't care if the priestess killed him before she did no he was just a sideshow, a nuisance even, to what she was in this Human city for.

She slowly held out her hands, extending her claws as she did so. The beasts tensed, and then leapt forward…Arcueid Brunestud stepped softly past them, moving so quickly they didn't even notice their death, bloody shreds falling to the ground in her wake.

The White Princess of the True Ancestors made for the stairs…and then she paused. She stood still for a few moments. She turned her head, red eyes fixed on the boy's body. She stared for a few more minutes, and then she slowly walked towards him, and knelt down beside the body.

The boy wasn't dead, though how he could still be alive with his injuries was a mystery. The flesh on his neck and limbs had been shredded, and his belly gutted open. But he was alive. His body convulsed every few moments, eyelids flickering open to reveal blank, gold-coloured irises, blood spurting out with every convulsion.

And yet…as Arcueid observed for the next minute or so, she could see that his body was knitting back together. His flesh, skin, even his organs were growing back despite the impossibility of it.

Was he turning into a Dead Apostle?

Arcueid resisted the urge to extend her claws and rip him apart then and there. A Dead Apostle's victims did not just become like their killers overnight. It took centuries if not millennia for victims to go from Dead, to the Living Dead, and then on to full Dead Apostle status.

Was he a magus then, with some kind of mystery that allowed him to heal back from what was inflicted on him?

It was possible, though to Arcueid's knowledge magi killed by Dead Apostles still became the Dead. And the Dead didn't heal, not like the way the boy was healing.

The True Ancestor narrowed her eyes, the crimson irises turning gold as she activated her Mystic Eyes of Enchantment. She called on her Authority within the World, and the power to look into the boy's soul, to know what he was, and what was happening to him.

And she saw…

…she fell, falling through smoky skies to land with the crack of breaking earth on her feet. As the dust cleared and she looked around her, she widened her eyes. The land was dry as far as the eye could see, baked hard and left desolate by dry heat that filtered up through the ground, smoke and sparks as though from a forge drifting through the air in the gold and rose of a sunset sky.

She knew where she was, though she couldn't believe it. Only True Demons and the most powerful of the Dead Apostle Ancestors could have something like this as a matter of course, with the number of Humans possessing something like it to be counted on one hand. Reality Marble…

As though triggered by the thought, the ground beneath rumbled and then broke, golden flames exploding around her with searing force. Roaring with defiance as they licked and flowed around her, Arcueid extended her claws and exerted her power, blowing them aside as the sunset sky was blotted out by light.

The light was blinding, even to one such as her, and she prepared to unleash her own Marble Phantasm if need be, to escape this…Inner World that no ordinary Human should possess. But before she could…she felt…

Arcueid opened her eyes, widening them as she took in the sight around her. A green, peaceful country as far the eye could see, grass and trees blowing about in a gentle breeze. A stream glittered as though with diamonds in the light of the Sun in the distance, and the White Princess reached behind her in disbelief.

 _It couldn't be…_

She stared with wide eyes at the flowing golden locks she'd lost so long ago, and as she let them be blown back by the breeze she looked up at the sky. And what a sky it was, clear and blue in a way that she had never seen before, and which she knew would never be seen in such a way.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the air clean and crisp and filling her with a sense of exhilaration, and more than that…she…she felt…she felt the bloodlust…it was _gone_. That which had laid her brothers and sisters low, turning them into twisted abominations of what they once were or forcing them into forever sleep, their father's curse…it was gone.

"Is this…" she murmured as she allowed herself to fall back against the grass. "…is this…what peace is like?"

* * *

Shirou's eyes flew open, and he gasped, pulling air into his lungs under his own power. He looked around him with wide eyes, remembering getting torn to pieces by the monsters around him, and yet here he was, alive and stupefied at his miraculous survival.

He could remember after all. He remembered the beasts swarming him, tearing at his limbs, opening his neck, and biting out his gut. But he was alive.

 _I've survived again, where others died._

For a few moments he lay on his back, and then he struggled to a sitting position. It was difficult, both because his body felt…stiff and heavy, and he heard bones and joints popping as he moved…and because a body lay slumped over him.

At first he thought it was another corpse, but the warmth from her body quickly disproved that. Through the light coming from the broken glass doors behind him, Shirou could only stare at the beautiful face of the woman slumped over his body, the way her blonde hair was delicately splayed out over her features, and more than that…the expression of peace that she wore…

Shirou had never believed in such romantic things like love at first sight. And yet…before this beautiful woman, while he couldn't say that he fell in love with her then and there, he found himself wanting to protect the peaceful face that she wore then and there, and to make sure she could show it as many times as she wanted to.

Looking down at his ragged appearance, he frowned and then shivered as he remembered what the monsters did to him. Looking around at the corpses around him, he placed a hand around his chest. Prana glowed as he repaired what he could, though he knew that it'd probably never survive a wash and he'd need to get a new set of clothes to replace this one.

The blonde woman murmured and moved in her sleep, and Shirou smiled at the sight. Carefully moving so as to not wake her up, he got his feet while carrying her on his back. He didn't know if there were more of the damn things, but from the look of things, if the monsters hadn't attacked them while he and the woman slept, then they were gone.

 _Did she kill them and collapse from exhaustion afterwards? Did she heal me? If so, then I owe her. And even if I didn't, I can't exactly leave a sleeping woman alone in a place like this, can I now?_

Taking a careful look outside, Shirou quickly but quietly made for the open gates, and thence down the street and away. Perhaps if he'd known that Burial Agent Bow was still fighting with the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor in the upper floors, the latter having recalled his beasts to fight against a fellow immortal and a powerful one at that, he might have stayed and helped out.

That battle ended in a stalemate, the priestess and the vampire retreating to lick their wounds and prepare for the next battle. The latter after all, preferred to fight one enemy at a time. That the White Princess hadn't joined in the battle after killing his beasts on the ground was a surprise, but a welcome one.

He didn't know the reason behind it, but he didn't care. The White Princess had made a mistake, and had lost a chance to pincer him against the priestess.

Would they have succeeded?

He didn't know and he didn't care. He would get rid of the priestess, and then he would focus on the task given to him by the White Wing Lord: kill the White Princess.

As for the priestess, Nrvnqsr Chaos was just a sideshow, a useful excuse to hide her true reason for being in the city. It wasn't even the glorified blood sport the magi held in the city. It wouldn't stop her from killing him or any of the contest's participants if they got in the way, but they were all just distractions from her real target.

The Serpent of Akasha: Michael Roa Valdamjong.

* * *

A/N

I had some free time, so I managed to put this together.

Stupid Shirou, trying to play hero and getting killed for your trouble…it got you a pretty girl though so it's alright. Ahem…Shirou getting killed by Nrvnqsr Chaos (a seriously painful name to write) should have made him a vampire or a zombie, no? Except he has Avalon…! Considering its feats, I don't think it'd be unreasonable to operate on the idea short of the Crimson Moon or a True Ancestor mere Dead Apostles wouldn't be able to turn Shirou so long as he has the damn thing.

Yes, Arc saw UBW and Avalon. Oh and Shirou hasn't fallen for Arc yet, he just got his 'hero mode' fixed on protecting her. I abandoned the harem idea (sorry guys) because seriously, the outline was a bloody mess. The pairing is definitely Shirou and Arc though.

I killed Gil because he was in the way. Though since he's still a main character I'm sure he won't stay dead for long. And no, he won't be a pairing with Sakura or any character. Apart from that, wait and see.

Edited: May 28, 2017.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 3

Shirou slid the doors open, allowing morning light to enter the room from the yard behind him. To his surprise, the room was empty. The futon was still there, and it had even been arranged, but the blonde woman he'd brought home last night was nowhere to be seen.

Scratching at a cheek, Shirou took a look around the room before leaving and closing the doors behind him. He then made a quick check of the house, but there was no sign of the woman anywhere.

" _I guess she left early this morning._ " He thought as he made his way back to the kitchen. " _I wouldn't have minded if she'd stayed for breakfast though. She probably saved my life, and I'd like to have thanked her for it._ "

Shirou paused, staring at Sakura as she busied herself at the stove. " _Though,_ " he thought to himself. " _It might a good thing she left early. I'd…rather not explain to Sakura and_ _ **especially**_ _to Fuji-nee why a blonde foreigner stayed the night at my place._ "

Sakura, feeling Shirou's eyes on her, glanced in his direction. An eyebrow rose questioningly. "Yes?" she ventured, and Shirou started.

"No, it's nothing." He said. "Just thinking about a few things…"

Shirou laughed nervously, and Sakura tilted her head. " _Is he…thinking of me…in_ _ **that**_ _way?_ " she thought suddenly as she considered why he'd been staring at her for the past several moments. A flush crept onto her cheeks and she quickly turned back to her cooking.

" _Well…I…wouldn't really mind I suppose._ " she thought. " _He's certainly the best choice out of most boys I know…but still…_ "

Sakura suppressed a sigh before reaching up to scratch at her head. " _I've never thought of sempai that way before._ " She thought, glancing in his direction. " _Father would never have approved of him._ "

The thought brought a wry chuckle from her, and caused Shirou to look at her from where he was getting plates and other china and utensils from a cabinet. "Yes?" he asked in his turn.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." She said with slight fluster. Shirou managed a smile but decided not to press.

" _I guess I'm not the only one with deep thoughts this morning._ " He thought with amusement. "I'll set the table and then I'll help out, alright?" he said aloud, and Sakura nodded at him.

"Okay, I'll leave that to you then."

Shirou's eyes went wide: Sakura rarely if ever spoke so informally. And apparently she realized this too, as her eyes also went wide. And then she sighed, and waved him off.

" _Really now,_ " she thought with a mix of exasperation and lamentation. " _I'm so out of it this morning. Father would be disappointed._ "

The thought trailed off, the magus moving robotically for the next few moments. " _But then again,_ " she thought resignedly. " _I was always a disappointment._ "

* * *

"Wow," Taiga Fujimura slowly exclaimed as she took a seat at the breakfast table half-an-hour later. "That's a lot more than usual. Not that I'm complaining of course, but…"

"Come to think of it, it does seem more than the usual." Shirou remarked, and Sakura smiled apologetically.

"Sorry sempai," she said, bringing her hands together. "But I have a lot of things to do this morning, so I took advantage."

"It's alright, but…things to do?" Shirou replied blankly, and then he and Taiga belatedly realized that instead of her school uniform, she wore clothes more appropriate for a day out in town: a short-sleeved, collared blouse of white under a red vest, and a black miniskirt.

"Sakura-chan," Taiga said concernedly. "You're not going to school today?"

"I might swing by this afternoon…hopefully." Sakura said, reaching into her bag nearby and pulling out a folded letter. "A letter from my guardian…!"

Taiga took it out and read it over. After a couple of minutes, she nodded and folded it before handing it back to Sakura. "I see, family business." Taiga said with another nod. She was no stranger to such happenings her grandfather _was_ a local yakuza boss after all. "I understand. With that said though, given your average school performance you should work to catch up Sakura-chan. It wouldn't do for you to fall behind, even if it's just a single day…or hopefully, morning today."

Sakura finished filling Shirou's bowl before answering. "I understand sensei." She said, taking Taiga's bowl and filling it with rice. "I'll do what I can."

Taiga nodded gratefully. "Given you eat breakfast and dinner with us every day like this," she said. "It's hard to remember you come from a high-class family."

"You're one to talk." Shirou remarked dryly. "Grandfather Fujimura is hardly the poorest man on the planet, and here you are freeloading off of me."

"What was that?" Taiga exploded. "Shirou, onee-chan didn't raise you to talk like that to your elders! Why, I ought to…!"

"Honestly," Sakura cut in. "Must you two poke at each other every morning? Bad luck aside it's disrespectful to the food you know."

"Ah, sorry." Taiga fumbled, her temper abruptly grounded.

"Same here," Shirou said, scratching at a cheek. "Well I guess that was rude of me earlier. Anyway, we're all friends here, so let's not talk about things like high-class or things like that, alright?"

"Fair enough I suppose" Taiga agreed with crossed arms, and Sakura nodded her agreement.

* * *

"Hey, Emiya!"

The familiar shout greeted Shirou as he approached the school later that morning. Taiga had gone on ahead as usual while Sakura had vanished to deal with family business – probably magus affairs Shirou suspected though he didn't pry – after cleaning up the kitchen. That had left Shirou to walk to school on his own, something he hadn't done in a while.

Shirou smiled at the shout, stopping to let Ayako catch up with him. "Hey, where's Tohsaka?" she asked.

"She's not coming to school today." Shirou answered as he and Ayako resumed their walk to school. "She might attend afternoon class though. Family business she said."

"Oh? And Fujimura-sensei…?"

"She – Sakura – had a letter from her guardian. It came with her morning mail before she went to my house."

"Oh I see." Ayako said, nodding with understanding. "Guardian, eh? It's so easy to forget she's an orphan."

"That's not really something to talk about in public." Shirou said at once, and Ayako nodded.

"Right," she said. "Sorry about that…oh, and thanks for talking to Shinji for me. He was really behaved during the club meeting yesterday, though I wonder if Sakura's already talked to her uncle already."

"If he has then he's probably received a stiff talking-to already."

"Good," Ayako said with evident delight. "That little shit deserves discipline."

Shirou smiled indulgently, and then turned his attention back to the street in front of him. He and Ayako walked the rest of the way to school in silence, only for Shirou to abruptly cringe as he crossed the threshold. "What's wrong?" Ayako asked, and then she blinked as she noticed blood dripping from Shirou's right hand. "Emiya…!"

"It's alright." He said, taking a handkerchief and pressing it against his hand. "I probably just cut it somewhere in the kitchen earlier."

"Isn't it strange it started bleeding now though?"

"Maybe," Shirou said. "Though I probably got cut while washing dishes and just didn't notice at the time."

"I see." Ayako said with a nod. "And it probably got closed, or stopped bleeding with all the soap in the water. And of course, you being, well, **you** , you never noticed anything at all."

Shirou laughed at the slightly-disparaging reference to his high pain tolerance, and then just nodded. He looked up and was about to speak when he spotted a dark-haired, bespectacled girl walk past them and into the school grounds. Not knowing why, he turned his head to follow her with his eyes, and then he turned back to Ayako. "Who's that?" he asked.

Ayako shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." She said, also walking into the school grounds. "A new student, I guess."

"Is that so?" Shirou said, walking in her wake. Something…elusive about that girl…something despite her harmless appearance…made him wary. He didn't know why, but he _knew_ he should be careful around her. Unbidden, the peaceful, sleeping face of the blonde woman from the previous night came to mind…as did the massacre.

" _Familiars killing people,_ " Shirou thought darkly. " _A blonde foreigner kills them, saves my life, and leaves without saying goodbye or thank you. The Supervisor suddenly has business to deal with. And now, a strange girl who makes me careful shows up. Are they all connected?_ "

Shirou paused and looked up at the sky. " _Sakura…whatever's going on,_ " he thought. " _Please deal with it before it gets out of hand and more people get hurt. And if you need help, don't hesitate to ask. We're friends, aren't we? I'm a magus, a spell-caster too. Friends help each other out…and…_ "

Shirou didn't finish the thought, sighing and walking into the school. Unknown to him, a pair of yellow-green eyes were watching him discreetly amidst the other students moving around in the quadrangle. And through them, another was watching.

" _That's Tohsaka's friend._ " His Master's voice echoed in his head. " _Probably more than that, given she goes all the way from across the city to his house the first thing in the morning._ "

" _Should I kill him afterwards?_ "

" _No, just watch for now. Elesia is here. There's no need to draw her attention this early. Once the contest begins though, we can hide in the melee between Masters and Servants until the balance is in our favor. Wait for that time, and my command._ "

" _I understand._ "

* * *

Kirei Kotomine watched with carefully-veiled amusement as his ward barely managed to get out of the way in time before losing control of her stomach. He stayed silent as she vomited her guts out, his lips curling into a smile as she finally managed to straighten after a series of coughs. "If you cannot handle scenes like this then I worry for the coming contest." He remarked.

Sakura turned angrily on him, but Kirei continued to speak before she could get a word out. "I am not exaggerating in the least, Sakura." He said. "You think this is bad…? The Caster of the previous contest summoned a True Demon that took nothing less than the King of Knights herself to banish. God knows what might have happened had she not been present. Compared to what might have happened this is as nothing."

Sakura looked away in disgust. "We can be thankful at least." She said instead. "The bodies are too mangled for them to become the Dead. Why haven't they been burned yet?"

"I would have thought you'd have wanted to examine the site yourself."

"And the Burial Agent…?"

"She was present here." Kirei said, smiling at the thunderstruck expression on Sakura's face. "Yes, she fought the Tenth in this building during the previous night. Unfortunately, she was too late to stop the massacre, but she did manage to chase him off. There is that at least."

"Except the Tenth is still in _my_ city," Sakura growled, biting at a finger. "How many more people are going to die before the Burial Agent does her job and finishes him?"

"If you're that concerned, then why don't you do it yourself?" Kirei said. "You know the saying: if you want the job done right do it yourself."

Sakura stared at Kirei with an expression of mixed annoyance and incredulity. Kirei smiled even wider at the sight. "True, by yourself you are no match for the Tenth." He said. "He'd kill you in moments, and probably devour you or make you into one of the Dead."

He paused, savoring the barely-controlled terror that replaced annoyance within her, and then continued. "However," he said. "Servants or rather their Noble Phantasms are an entirely different matter."

"So you say," Sakura whispered, a hand rising to dab her sweating forehead. "But wasn't the King of Heroes defeated in the previous war?"

"His opponent was the King of Knights." Kirei replied. "Furthermore Saber's Master used his command spells to command her to defeat him no matter what. Surely even one as mediocre as you can understand the situation."

To Kirei's disappointment, Sakura didn't take the bait. But then again, it wasn't much of one, and he inwardly lamented his former Master's obsession with saving Rin Tohsaka over properly training his second daughter.

 _Isn't the whole point behind a spare for it to replace the heir should it prove worthless?_

Sakura stayed silent, biting on a thumb in a way he rarely saw the (usually) prim and proper girl do. Thinking briefly, he decided to try a different tactic to get her to bring up some spine.

"Also," he said. "It would seem that you're concerned about Bow taking censure of your interference in her hunt. I doubt you'd like to get rid of the Tenth and simply leave the Serpent of Akasha afoot in the city."

Sakura narrowed her eyes as she considered the possibility, but Kirei didn't respond. "With the King of Heroes," he continued instead. "Even Bow…"

"I have no intention of starting an incident between the Mages Association and the Holy Church." Sakura interrupted before beginning to walk away. "However, I am still the Supervisor of Fuyuki City. I don't need the Burial Agent's permission to hunt interlopers on _my_ territory."

Sakura paused, and then continued without looking at Kirei. "Burn their corpses, and clean up this mess." She said, and then she left. Kirei stared after her with a smile.

 _So you will seek to summon the King of Heroes? Yes, this should be very interesting. I for one am very curious how Bow will fare against him when she tries to stop Sakura from interfering with 'her' hunt._

Turning to the corpses he'd dragged from across the apartment complex and piled high on the ground floor, Kirei began to laugh.

* * *

Arcueid Brunestud sat against a tree, the shade of the canopy keeping most of the Sunlight away and reducing her migraine somewhat. The park was built on top of a hill, and from there she could look out over the city. Her thoughts however were elsewhere.

… _a clear blue sky…a stream of pure water glittering in the Sun…a far green country as far as the eye can see…_

When she'd woken up at sunrise she'd been surprised to find herself in a…Japanese-style bed. A bit of investigation (just looking around actually) and she'd found the boy she'd encountered back at the Tenth's feeding ground sleeping peacefully.

She'd briefly considered killing him. He…possessed an Inner World of his own, which was an aberration even for magi, who were technically aberrations in their own way among Humans. But she stayed her claws. It wasn't like he was a Dead Apostle. It wasn't like he was a threat to nature. She had no reason to kill him.

… _clean crisp air…_

But more than that…

… _the grass lay soft around and beneath her as she stared up at the sky…_

…she wanted to see it again. No, that was wrong. She didn't want to see it again. She wanted to feel it again, that sense of…peace, freedom from the desire to drink blood that was the legacy of her father. Once she had been free of it, the only one among her kin, but the Serpent of Akasha had tricked her, and in so doing bound her with the curse of her kind and helped speed up their destruction.

But in that dream…the dream the boy showed her…

… _peace…this is what peace is like._

"True Ancestors don't dream." Arcueid said softly. "But I want to see it again. I want to dream again."

As she said those words, she saw the face of the boy in her mind. She saw him lying in his own blood on the stone floor of the Tenth's feeding ground. She saw him sleeping in peace in his own home, where he had brought despite not knowing who or what she was. Or…did he know?

He was a magus after all…wasn't he?

If so, did he bring her to his home for an ulterior purpose? A part of her suspected it was so, but she wanted to believe better of him. Images flashed through her mind again, this time not of the dream, but the Inner World. A barren landscape baked dry by the heat, lifeless and desolate. But it was not the ground which drew her attention now, but the sky.

A sky colored lushly gold and red by the sunset, in stark contrast to the broken landscape below. Was there meaning there? If so, what…?

" _I want to see him again._ " Arcueid thought as she looked out over the city. " _But should I? And if I do…should I see him now, or after? And will he be able to show me the dream again?_ "

 _Will I know the answer to the contrast between the barren land and the living sky?_

* * *

The coffee shop's name was Ahnenerbe. At a table by the window Kariya Matou sat looking out of said window, a tall glass of orange juice sitting at the table in front of him. Beside the glass were a notebook and a pen, with which he'd been editing an interview he'd done the previous day for the paper he was working in.

The man blinked and then smiled as he spotted his guest on the opposite side of the street. He waved at her, and she waved back. It was a while before said guest could cross, waiting for the light to turn green before she quickly crossed and entered the shop.

Kariya gestured for two menus, and handed one to Sakura as she took a seat opposite him. "I'll have two orders of Turkey sandwich and an ice coffee." she said after a brief scan. The waitress nodded and jotted down her order.

"I'll have Shepherd's Pie and another orange juice." Kariya ordered. The waitress nodded again, wrote his order down, and repeated their orders. They nodded and with a bow left them alone.

"Skipping school…?" Kariya said with a smile. "I'm hardly the most responsible adult, and while I do enjoy spending time with you, but still…"

"Huh? Oh it's nothing like that." Sakura said with a laugh. "I had…magus matters, to deal with."

"Oh I see." Kariya said. They sat in silence for a while, and then Sakura broke it after a few moments.

"Uncle, I don't mean to tell tales but perhaps you should talk to Shinji again."

Kariya sighed heavily. "What did he do this time?" he said with evident exasperation.

"Short story: bullying bordering on hazing." Sakura said. "My friend Ayako Mitsuzuri's captain of the _kyuudo_ club. According to her, he recently forced all the new male recruits up on the range and made fools out of them until they could score a hit. And apparently he only did it to make himself look good in front of the other girls. And whenever she – Mitsuzuri-sempai – tried to talk to him over it, he just keeps on running away."

Kariya sighed again. "That boy," he said. "I've really been too lenient on him. But it's not like I can come down hard on him. It's as he says: I'm not his father."

"But…"

"It's the truth." Kariya interrupted her with a small smile. "There's no point in denying it. And it's not like I don't have a role in how he's ended up like this."

Sakura looked surprised, as did Kariya who suddenly laughed. "Oh that's right, I never told you." He said, pausing as the waitress returned with their drinks. He waited until she was gone before continuing. "After Byakuya died and I took over the family, well, there went the magical legacy of the family. Shinji as you well know does not possess magical potential."

Sakura nodded. Of course she knew: she had in fact almost become a Matou before her sister had…had somehow…somehow turned into a vampire. After that…with her sister and mother dead, her father had had to take her back to keep the family line going.

 _And yet, he always kept on trying to find a way to get her back. But…the dead can never come back to life._

 _Not even True Magic can bring the dead back._

"…to keep him happy," Kariya was saying. "Or better put: to put his mind off from being unable to inherit the Matou mysteries in any way, I greatly-indulged him. The Matou family is quite well-off, so large allowances, along with letting him go out late with friends, things like that."

Kariya sighed. The moment he'd gained control of the Matou family, he'd immediately locked down the 'training' room, the laboratories, the repositories and other facilities, and even the library itself before throwing the keys away. In truth he'd wanted to move away before burning the house down, or at least the books in the library. But he couldn't.

" _Gods know what defenses father put on those damn things, or even on the damn house._ " He thought bitterly. " _They might have gone dormant with him dead at the Church and Tokiomi's hands, but if they work on auto._ "

Kariya took a drink of his juice. " _In the end I'm just a jailer for a cursed legacy._ " He thought.

"Maybe," Sakura said softly. "Maybe if my sister had lived…if I had actually become a Matou…if Shinji had become my older brother and learned the meaning of responsibility…"

She stopped talking as Kariya violently jolted at her words. "Uncle…?" she asked, and he coughed.

"No, it's nothing." He said. "Anyway that's a fairly academic and pointless line of thought, given it's a what-if."

Sakura chuckled and nodded. "Fair enough," she said, though she was curious at her uncle's physical reaction and quick changing of the topic.

" _Then again, from what I know Matou magecraft is based on the water element._ " She thought. " _I'd have had had to undergo alchemical augmentation to be able to use it. And that's neither easy nor painless._ "

Sakura masked her grateful smile with a sip of her iced coffee. " _Uncle,_ " she thought. " _Always looking out for me…more than father ever did…_ "

 _She doesn't have what it takes to be a magus! She has the potential, but that's it! She's nothing like her sister! Nothing at all…! She cannot fulfil the family legacy!_

Sakura's fingers tightened on her coffee cup's handle at the memory of shouted words overheard through a wooden door. And they weren't the only ones.

"What's wrong?" Kariya asked, and Sakura put her cup down.

"Uncle," she began after a few moments. "Perhaps you should go out of town for a while."

Kariya looked surprised at that. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

Sakura hesitated, and then pulled back her sleeve to expose the concentric circles of her command spells. Kariya's eyes flared wide. "Those are…!" he exclaimed before cutting himself off and looking around him.

"It's going to start soon." Sakura said. "The Fifth Holy Grail War,"

"You're really going to participate?"

"It's not like I have a choice." Sakura said bitterly. "Even if I don't want to participate, as a member, as the _last_ Tohsaka and thus a founding member of the Holy Grail War, other Masters will assume I'm participating and attack based on that assumption. Without a Servant of my own, I…"

"Sakura,"

"I never have a choice." she said bitterly. "Never…"

"There is always a choice." Kariya said, and Sakura smiled wryly.

"I never wanted to be a magus." She said. "I was perfectly fine being an ordinary little girl. Of course my parents would have rolled in their graves if they heard that, and probably are right now. Since being ordinary is apparently so shameful I was thrown out of the family I grew up with to go and live with strangers so I could become a magus, only to have my own sister bizarrely turn into a monster and kill my mother and nearly everyone around her."

Kariya stayed silent. "After that," Sakura continued. "My father took me back, but even then…my best wasn't enough for him. I wasn't enough for him, even though I was his only family left. He left me to my own devices so he could experiment with ways to bring the dead back to life…which was probably what turned my sister into a monster in the first place!"

"Sakura," Kariya said, reaching to take Sakura's hands in his own. Sakura blinked and looked away in shame.

"Sorry," she said. "That was unsightly of me."

Kariya laughed and drew back. "You don't need to say that." He said. "At least not to me: I'm not your father after all."

Sakura laughed and nodded. "True," she said before her face fell. "In the end though, his experiments were left incomplete – for which we can all be thankful for probably – when he put his hopes on the Grail. But he lost the war, and the Grail malfunctioned in the end, making it all for nothing. And leaving me with the responsibility of the Supervisor…me, a child…what a preposterous farce."

"Magi society is a farce in many ways." Kariya said with a hint of bitterness and disgust.

"True," Sakura agreed. "And the worst part is that I'm too responsible to give it all up. Because if I do, then this whole city, so valuable-spiritually, will end up getting embroiled in all sorts of trouble as the 'other world' fights over its assets. If there's anything I can take pride in being a magus, it's that by being one – no matter how mediocre – I can at least keep people safe."

"I can't argue with you there." Kariya said with a small smile. "Though with that said, and while I cannot speak for your father, I'm sure that no matter what path in life you took, your mother would want you to be the best you can be."

"In other words," Sakura said as the waitress arrived with their meals. "Take every opportunity I can get, so long as it doesn't involve anything I'll regret, is that it?"

Kariya's smile grew and he nodded. "Yes." He said. "You might be entering the contest to keep yourself safe, but I'd like to think that you're more Aoi's daughter than Tokiomi's. And more than that, you're you. I'm sure that in both the contest and what comes after, you'll be more responsible with what you have and might get."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." She said. "I promise I won't make you regret it."

"I'm sure you won't."

* * *

A/N

Arc's not at full power. IIRC she's at about thirty per cent power before Shiki killed her. She's at that level now, and she can kick most Servants' butts (apart from Gil).

Who said Sakura won't get anything? Wait and see.

Yes, that was RIN's Servant posing as a Servant in school (and Ciel's a student). As for why they plan to kill Shirou, wait and see.

Edited: May 28, 2017.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 4

Sakura had asked Kirei about the King of Heroes. What should she expect? How should she present herself?

Kirei had answered that she should expect a king. He told her to 'know her place', and to present the utmost respect. Anything less would be insolent, and would most likely be repaid with death. And even if she were fast enough to apply a command spell, the King of Heroes would never forget.

And he would never forgive.

As such the moment the summoning ritual was completed and her new Servant had materialized in the summoning circle, she immediately sank to one knee with head bowed. She expected to feel the weight of his eyes on her, and for him to coldly demand her name and ask _why_ he should consider her worthy of his patronage.

She would not be disappointed.

"Well now," an unexpectedly amusedvoice spoke. "It seems that the beggar knows her place. We shall see in time, but for now I will defer judgment. Raise your head, the king wishes to see your face."

Sakura did as commanded, taking in her Servant's appearance for the first time. He was a tall man, surprisingly fair of skin considering his homeland in Ancient Mesopotamia. Even more surprising was his hair, wildly-swept back and coloured like gold. Gilded plates protected his torso and legs, engraved with cuneiform in blue, a half-skirt of red cloth with gold embroidery hanging around him. His chest and arms were surprisingly bare, exposing powerful and sculpted muscles. Golden links held a golden mantle over his shoulders, while golden bracelets hung around his wrists. A pair of polished blades of bronze and gold hung within easy reach behind his shoulders.

But his eyes…his eyes…they were red. They were red…just like her sister's…

"Now there's a pretty face." Archer said with a grin. "I haven't seen a pretty face in a long time. Not as pretty as Ishtar true, but she was ugly as sin on the inside. Human women though…might I have your name, woman?"

Sakura didn't answer – she couldn't answer – as her breath quickened with fear and panic rose from inside. She began to shake, as once again she was just a child. A helpless child, cowering in fear as her sister – her kind, sweet sister who could never harm a fly and had always looked out for her – turned into a monster.

People fell, ripped apart with their blood exploding out. They covered her, staining her, and her sister drank it in.

She saw her mother – their mother – dead by Rin's hand. Those eyes…those blank staring eyes…they gaped at her, gaping as cold, dead hands pawed at her and lifeless jaws moved to rend and tear.

It was all because her sister had become a monster. Fingers had turned into claws, teeth into fangs, and brilliant, innocent blue eyes had turned red as blood, shining from the inside with an inhuman thirst for blood.

Sakura couldn't help it: her legs gave way, and she fell back on her rump. Archer narrowed his eyes at the sight of the girl cowering in terror before him, his expression turning stern.

"Are you afraid?" he asked. Sakura didn't answer, and he repeated his question. "Are you afraid of me child? Answer, the king commands it."

The moments stretched, Sakura's trembling growing as the King of Heroes sternly gazed down at her. The king's crimson eyes narrowed, and then Sakura looked away, her eyes tightly shut as she all but screamed her answer out.

"Yes!" she said. "I…I…I'm afraid…I…"

"Good!" Archer said with a note of approval, his expression shifting likewise. "I've no use for cowards and weaklings. You know your place before the king, but you also have the strength to admit your weakness, and overcome it. You might be a beggar for knowledge, but it seems I might have use for you."

Sakura opened her eyes, slowly turning to look at Archer. There was still fear in her eyes, and she was still breathing heavily, but she was fighting it now, and continued to do so despite a sharp spike when she caught of Archer's red eyes.

Archer nodded in approval. "What's your name woman?" he asked.

"S-Sakura….my name is Sakura Tohsaka." She replied shakily, and Archer grinned.

"Names have power." he said. "Therefore from now on I shall address you as such, Sakura Tohsaka. You have done a great service to the king, returning him to his kingdom. I will call on you further in the days and weeks to come, as I test the lesser heroes that appear in this contest and determine their worth. Rest assured the reward will be great. The king rewards faithful service, it is only just."

"Yes." Sakura said with a bow, and Archer waved her off.

"Enough of that." he said. "I've no desire to see a beautiful woman – even one as young as you – abased so low. Won't you show your king your home Sakura Tohsaka?"

Sakura shakily rose to her feet, and after a calming breath gestured respectfully towards her workshop door. "Well then, King of Heroes," she said. "Please allow me to show you around."

* * *

"I see." Shirou said, speaking to Sakura over the landline the following morning. "Alright, I'll see you at school then. Bye."

Shirou replaced the phone, and then went back into the dining room. Taiga was there, watching the morning news with a plate of pickled cucumber slices beside her. "So what did Sakura-chan say?" she asked as Shirou entered the adjoining kitchen and resumed working on breakfast.

"What else?" he answered. "It's still the same reason why she skipped school yesterday."

"I see." Taiga said. "I hope it's nothing serious, I wouldn't want Sakura-chan to get caught up in something out of a television drama."

"Fuji-nee," Shirou said with a pained expression on his face. "Is that really something to be worried about?"

"You really are naive aren't you Shirou?"

"N-naïve?" Shirou echoed incredulously, and Taiga laughed.

"Well it can't be helped I guess." She said. "But you should already know that high-class families do things differently from ordinary people. Yes, she has no living relatives, and from what she's told us her family has fallen on hard times, but she still has the social expectations of the society she was born into."

" _Considering she's a magus,_ " Shirou thought with sudden worry. " _And Supervisor of this territory…from what I know about magus society maybe Fuji-nee's on to something here. Sakura…_ "

"It's probably not best to assume," Taiga continued to say as Shirou began placing platters of food on the table. "But this 'family business' her guardian's arranged for her might be part of something to meet those expectations _and_ rebuild her family fortunes."

"And from the sound of things," Shirou shrewdly remarked. "Even if you don't want to assume, you've probably done just that. Honestly, you really should stop watching afternoon or evening soap operas. That stuff rots your brain."

"Shut up!" Taiga said in outrage. "I don't tell you how to entertain yourself."

"Yes, yes," Shirou said as he placed the rice pot on the table. "Sorry, sorry…and…? What do you think Sakura's gotten into?"

Taiga grinned, her good mood returning. She leaned across the table, a finger raised and an eye winked shut. "A marriage meeting…!" she said loudly, surprising and flustering Shirou that he nearly dropped the bowl he was holding.

"A marriage meeting…?" he loudly echoed in shock and incredulity. It was probably not the best response, Taiga's eyes narrowing with mischief.

"What's wrong Shirou?" she asked, resting her chin on her entwined hands. "Could it be that you're worried that someone might move on Sakura-chan before you? Honestly if you wanted to go out with her, you should have asked her out a long time ago. First come, first serve you know?"

"Fuji-nee," Shirou protested but with a slight blush. "Don't say inappropriate things like that. And besides…"

He paused and fumbled. "She's like a sister to me." He finally managed to say, and Taiga snorted in disbelief.

"Then why are you so worried about her getting into a marriage meeting?" she asked.

"Aren't you?" Shirou asked back. "Come on Fuji-nee, you know Sakura's only what, sixteen…? Don't you think it's a waste for her to get married – assuming whatever her guardian's cooked up pulls through – as soon as she graduates from school? I'm just looking out for her, that's all."

"Hmm," Taiga hummed. "Well yes, I suppose I can't argue with that. She might be an average student, but I can tell it's only because she doesn't apply herself fully. I'm sure if she did, she'd be able to better now, and go to high places in the future."

"See what I mean?" Shirou said with a slight hint of smugness. "And besides, weren't you the one who said 'no girlfriends' and 'no foolishness' back when I started middle school?"

"I never said that." Taiga responded, and Shirou stared blankly at her.

"Yes you did."

Taiga squirmed and finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine, so I did." She said with a huff, and Shirou grinned. He didn't usually play words with people like this, but for his elder sister…he could make an exception. "Still, if it were Sakura-chan, I can make an exception."

"Fuji-nee…!"

"Oh come on," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You'd look good together. And between her smarts – unapplied true but they're there – and your work attitude I'm sure the two of would really help each other out."

Shirou sighed and looked up as though praying to any gods that might be listening. " _I'd bet Sakura's probably sneezing right now._ " He thought.

* * *

Sakura gently sneezed twice, covering her nose with a hand in the process. Washing it in the sink, she opened a cabinet and used a paper napkin from inside to wipe her nose. Disposing of the soiled paper, she wiped hand on a kitchen towel before returning to the dining room.

The King of Heroes sat alone at the table, eating a traditional – if somewhat large – Japanese-style breakfast that Sakura had prepared for him. Sakura herself had taken a light breakfast with a rejuvenation potion – she's only managed to sleep a couple of hours after Archer's summoning and showing him around her house – before cooking her Servant's breakfast.

She stood silently near the wall, holding a tray flat against her lap, wearing her school uniform under a plain white apron. It was another ten minutes before the King of Heroes finished eating, and sat back against his chair.

"An impressive repast, Sakura Tohsaka." He said, wiping at his mouth with a kitchen napkin. "It's not quite my usual fare, but I enjoy a novelty every now and then, and I would say that your cooking is worthy of my praise. You'd make a fine homemaker in the future."

Sakura bowed in silent acceptance of Archer's praise, but he didn't fail to notice a strange expression briefly flitter over her face at the word 'homemaker'. "Oh?" he said with a note of curiosity. "You don't see yourself as a homemaker in the future?"

"It's my duty to find a proper husband," Sakura said neutrally. "And carry on the family legacy. And as a wife and mother I am expected…"

"But such a prospect does not fill you with enthusiasm." Archer interrupted her with a knowing smile. Sakura looked away, a veiled expression of mixed shame and embarrassment appearing on her face. "I see. So that's what it was I sensed when you called to me on the throne, Sakura Tohsaka. That is what you seek from the so-called Holy Grail."

Sakura blinked and looked at Archer with questioning eyes. "So you don't quite know yourself yet." He said with a grin. "No matter, you have ample time to find out what it is you truly desire. I fully intend to take my time testing the other heroes present in this contest. In that time, during the battles we will face, **you** will be tested as well. You will be shown the best and the worst of yourself, and will have your illusions and misconceptions shattered by the harshness of reality. Such is war, Sakura Tohsaka."

Sakura stayed silent, and Archer continued after a moment. "Then…?" he asked. "What do you intend to do for the day?"

"I have to go to school today." Sakura replied, and Archer nodded in understanding. He could approve of children being taught to harness their gift of intellect. Intellect was what separated Humans from animals after all, their proof of superiority, and the mark of perfection. Also, he had no desire for ignorant dullards to be his subjects, much less to be his servants.

"However," Sakura continued. "I would not presume to have you remain in my home as a virtual prisoner. You should explore this city as you will, King of Heroes."

"Oh?" Archer said with a smile. "You do not fear someone such as me causing trouble with my 'outdated ways' Sakura Tohsaka…?"

"Your charisma is ranked very high." Sakura said with a smile. "Also, just from your fashion sense, I daresay you'd fit in very well." It wasn't a lie: between his red shirt, polished leather shoes and black pants and jacket, Archer would probably be just another rich young idler wandering around the city in pursuit of anything that caught his fancy. "Between those two factors, I need not fear you causing any trouble."

Archer burst out laughing. "Flattery," he said. "But it's all true. Yes, I would see this city with my own eyes. I strongly doubt it could compare to my city, Uruk of brick and bronze, echo of the glory of the King. But the entire world is my kingdom, and I would see for myself this backwater demesne in the far reaches of my realm."

Sakura bowed. "Then King of Heroes," she said. "Perhaps we should arrange for someplace we could rendezvous at the end of the day?"

Archer nodded, and Sakura left to get a map. It only took a couple of minutes for her to return, spreading a map on the table in front of Archer. He was impressed. In his day mapmaking was a rudimentary art, and while the map before him was disappointingly-mundane and utilitarian in design, the means to achieve its purpose was clearly far more refined.

Such an example of the continued advancement of Humanity's collective intellect…truly his people were superior to anything else that walked this world.

Archer looked on and listened in silence as Sakura selected a park in the city as their rendezvous point, and measuring the distance between it and her school by rule of thumb predicted how long it would take for her to arrive. Archer nodded in agreement. "Very well," he said. "I will await your coming by sunset Sakura Tohsaka."

Sakura bowed, and Archer left. She began clearing the table once he'd left the dining room, but once she heard the front door open and close, she immediately closed. "Honestly," she said irritably, pulling off her apron and throwing it on the table. "That man is too damn perceptive!"

Still scowling, she sat on a chair and rested her head on an elbow. "How the hell did he figure that out?" She said, biting on a thumb while tugging on a lock of hair. After a few more moments she got up, and resumed clearing the table. "Honestly…honestly…honestly…"

Grumbling under her breath, she took the dirty plates and utensils back to the kitchen and placed them on the sink. As cold water began to wash over her hands, her temper also began to cool, irritation being replaced with contemplation.

" _I don't want to be a housewife._ " she thought to herself. " _Mother was a housewife, but that was all she was in the end._ "

Sakura closed the faucet before turning and leaning back against the sink. Ignoring the damp patches her wet hands left on her uniform vest, she crossed her arms against her chest. " _But, regaining the ordinary life I once had, the ordinary life I was once content with, won't satisfy me…not anymore._ " she thought to herself. " _But, this life I currently have, and what it leads to, it doesn't satisfy me either. Damn it._ "

Sakura sighed, and turned back to the dishes in the sink. " _What is it that I really want?_ " she finally thought.

* * *

" _I didn't see Sakura come to school earlier._ " Shirou thought as he walked through the corridors during the morning break. " _She said she would over the phone, but will she?_ "

He turned around a corner and promptly walked into said girl, the two of them falling to the ground in opposite directions facing each other. Sakura was the first to regain her wits, her expression turning from restrained irritation to one of surprise. "Sempai…!" she exclaimed.

"Sakura…?" Shirou asked in surprise as he got to his feet. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Sakura giggled as she took Shirou's offered hand. "Right," she said with a smile. "That seems fairly obvious."

Shirou smiled, Sakura falling into step beside him as they made their way to the cafeteria. "Sorry about skipping out this morning sempai," she said as they walked down the stairs. "As I said over the phone I had something to care of."

"It's alright." Shirou asked. "The same things from yesterday…?"

"They're connected," Sakura replied evasively. "But it's not the same."

"I see." Shirou said with a nod. They walked in silence for a while after that, Shirou speaking up again only when they reached the ground floor. "Hey Sakura…?"

"Yes?"

"I understand that…whatever's going on is, well, _your_ responsibility." He said. "With that said though, I…I can help out in that way too. We're friends aren't we? Friends help each other out. And while I understand you'd probably want to fulfil your responsibility on your own, if you need help just ask. Alright…?"

Sakura stared at Shirou for a couple of moments, the boy staring back. Another moment passed and stretched out. "You're nice aren't you sempai?" Sakura finally asked before giving a sigh. "I don't know if I can involve you in 'my responsibility' as you put it, but thanks."

"Just keep it in mind," Shirou said with a smile. "That's all I'm asking."

Sakura nodded, and the two of them resumed their walk to the cafeteria. A good distance down the opposite corridor, Ciel watched discreetly from a bench with a curry bun in one hand. " _Friends…?_ " she silently asked. " _Is that really all there is between them? Even if that's the case though, what a strange coupling: the Magus Killer's son and the Association Supervisor of this territory. Though in a way, they do fit with each other. Neither of them is particularly formidable, and both seem more concerned with mundane matters than those of the hidden world. Not that that's a bad thing._ "

Ciel closed her eyes as she took a bite of her meal. " _The world would be a kinder place if people simply kept their noses from where they don't belong._ " She concluded. As she began to chew, she resisted the urge to tense up as someone approached.

"Hi there." a fellow student with styled, red hair and unusual yellow-green eyes approached. "You're the other new student aren't you? My name's Hikaru Marumaru."

"Ciel," Ciel responded with a small smile. "Just Ciel."

The other student's smile faded slightly as he realized his interruption wasn't welcome, but just as quickly rallied. "Right," he said with an apologetic tone. "Sorry about that, I just thought I should know my schoolmates."

"Understandable," Ciel conceded. "Though walking up to people out of the blue is rather rude isn't it?"

Hikaru burst out laughing. "Alright you got me there." he agreed, rubbing at the back of his head. "Maybe I should have started out with my classmates, no?"

Ciel smiled genuinely – or it looked genuine – this time and nodded. "That sounds like a good way to start." She said, and Hikaru grinned.

"Right," he said before beginning to walk towards the cafeteria. "Sorry again for interrupting, but I'm going to go get something to eat before break ends. Bye Ciel-san."

Ciel waved back, and then returned to her meal. As she bit into the bun and the spices of the curry tingled on her tongue, realization slammed into her like a blow to the gut.

 _Other students have approached me before._ _ **None**_ _of them made me tense up like he did on approach._

Ciel's eyes turned to Hikaru, his back barely visible down the hallway. Behind her glasses Ciel narrowed her eyes. " _Who are you really?_ " she asked in silence. " _Are you a Master? A Servant in disguise…? Or…is it you Roa?_ "

* * *

Archer so far had been pleased with his experiences shortly after returning to the World from the Throne of Heroes.

First, his 'Master' had interesting depths to her, even if she was a Beggar for Knowledge. That she was a pretty face was an added bonus as far as he was concerned.

Moving on, the city he was in might lack the grandeur and strength of Uruk, but after spending an eternity unable to do _anything_ on the Throne of Heroes, the novelty of his surroundings made for a pleasant change.

For one thing, the pleasure palaces called 'game arcades' were truly wonders he could not have imagined. He spent most of the morning in one such palace or another, until the grumbling of his stomach forced him to go looking for food. Thanks to Golden Rule, and his memory of the map Sakura Tohsaka had shown him, Archer had nothing to ask for, and could find his way around the city to his pleasure.

Of course, all good things must come to an end.

As he wandered around the city in the afternoon, having well-spent a large – for commoners – amount of money to eat a luncheon worthy of a king, he smelled something that immediately soured his day: blood. Plenty of blood had been spilled, and it wasn't long before the King of Heroes' footsteps were making for the source.

The source was one of the so-called apartment buildings wherein many families or individuals lived at once. As he passed the threshold, implacably walking through a yellow-coloured line stretched over the entrance, one of the men guarding the entrance into the compound moved to stop. Archer turned, ready to chastise the man for daring to prohibit him passage.

Only, the man was already going back to his post with a blank look on his face.

 _Magic_

There was a flash of golden light, and Archer was in his full battle regalia. He swept over the compound, his wrath at the untimely deaths of his subjects held in check only by his unbreakable will.

Inside the building, there was blood everywhere, many of which were drag marks leading into the interior atrium. There he found a tall man with dark hair piling the corpses, ready to have them burned.

"Tell me _priest_ ," Archer snarled to the priest's surprise, all but spitting the last word out with hate. "Why should I not kill you for what you have done to my subjects?"

"Well now," Kirei Kotomine said with a surprised bow. "This is an unexpected pleasure. King of Heroes…"

"Answer the question." Archer snarled, Bab-ilu opening around him, the priest's smile quickly fading.

"It was not I who killed these people, King of Heroes." He quickly said. Archer stared at him for several moments, Kirei outwardly stoic but internally cursing such an inauspicious first encounter with the King of Heroes. Finally Archer made a dismissive gesture, Bab-ilu closing around him.

"You speak the truth." Archer said simply. "So, why are you treating their bodies with such disrespect?"

"They were slain by a vampire, King of Heroes." Kirei said. "It is only a precaution."

"A vampire…?" Archer echoed with a raised eyebrow. "Of which kind…? The Guardians of Nature or their treacherous children…?"

"The latter, oh great King of Heroes…" Kirei replied.

"You sycophancy is ill-accepted, priest." Archer interrupted coldly.

"Please accept my apologies," Kirei said with a deep bow. "Though, I must express my surprise. It seems that my ward Sakura Tohsaka has not informed you of this development."

"What?"

Inwardly Kirei smiled. "Sakura Tohsaka is your Master is she not?" he asked. "She is also the Supervisor of this territory. As such she has responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the land, and while I assist in any way I can, I…"

"Enough," Archer interrupted again. "I will question my servant myself over this matter when I meet with her. Complete your assigned task, and dispose of those corpses. It is dishonourable true but better this than to have their bodies turned into one of the Unquiet Dead by one of Nature's Guardians' treacherous children."

Archer turned to leave, his half-skirt fluttering around him. "Might I ask where you are going, King of Heroes?" Kirei asked. Archer paused, turning to look coldly over a shoulder. Kirei inclined his head respectfully, and a moment later Archer turned his attention towards the piled corpses. After another moment he resumed walking away.

 _There_ _ **will**_ _be retribution._

* * *

A/N

Gilgamesh is back! Or to be more specific, Proto-Archer is here. Expect him to be much nicer than his regular counterpart. Case in point: Proto-Archer _proposed_ to Ayaka Sajyou. Normal Gil would laugh at the idea before brutally and painfully-killing the one who brought up the idea. Granted, he's still somewhat condescending to Sakura, but she has to earn his complete approval.

Cthreen: because that's the whole point Kiri put it in him…?

Im a guest: it would even be stranger if she acted like she does in canon.

Guess who RIN's Servant is.

Edited: May 29, 2017.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 5

"The Unquiet Dead," Archer remarked as he walked up to his 'Master' at their rendezvous point. In the distance the Sun floated just above the horizon, tinting the sky gold and red. "One of them is in this city."

Sakura Tohsaka had been sitting against the rail, and rising bowed. "My apologies," she said. "I confess that I had hidden this fact from you, however I did so only because I thought it would be…pointless, informing until I had something beyond the fact of the monster's presence in this city to report."

Archer considered the matter briefly. True, she had hidden the fact from him, but as she said there was no point in simply telling the fact and nothing more. That would have been expected from a mere messenger, the lowest of servants, not one who he had judged worthy of further consideration. For one such, it would be better to inform the fact along with detailed information and a proposed plan or plans of action.

"Raise your head." Archer commanded, and Sakura did just that. "You have used your gift of intellect, and you have used it well. Your King is pleased. But I will not suffer such an abomination running amok, even in this backwater demesne, killing my subjects with impunity. Justice _will_ be delivered."

Archer paused, and walked up to the rail to look out over the city at the setting Sun. "Tell me," he said. "What do you know of the Unquiet Dead present in the city?"

"He is Nrvnqsr Chaos, the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor." Sakura replied. "From what I know of his abilities, he is a living mass of…exotic matter, derived from and composed of some form of High Thaumaturgy and 666 beasts ranging from simple dogs all the way up to and including Phantasmal Beasts of unknown kinds."

"And on the battlefield…?" Archer asked. "What can we expect?"

"He is capable of incarnating and unleashing some or all of his beasts against his enemies." Sakura said. "From what I've seen of his actions thus far, it is his standard form of attack. However, I have read that he is capable of using the exotic matter from which his form is made of for offence and defense. Unfortunately, I have no information on how he would do so, merely that any who seek to fight him be wary. He is after all, the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, and a member of the court of the White Wing Lord."

"And how do you plan to confront him?" Archer asked.

Sakura hesitated, and then bowed again. "My apologies," she said. "I confess that I am too weak to face him, and I must depend upon you…"

"Why do you apologize?" Archer interrupted, raising Sakura by the shoulders. "Or rather, why do you apologize for your weakness? Do you not know that only the truly strong can admit their weakness? It is because only once one realizes their weakness can they begin to overcome it. Know this, and remember, child."

Sakura blinked and nodded, and Archer smiled, patting her on a cheek. "There is no need for you to apologize." He said. "Humbly ask for my assistance against this abomination, yes, but not apologize."

Archer paused and crossed his arms. Turning he leaned back against this rail, his golden hair shimmering in the light of the sunset. "A part of me considers such a task below me." He admitted. "Still, one of those who usurp the title of 'ancestor' from the Guardians of Nature, and a murderer of innocents: I will not suffer the crimes of usurpation and murder to go un-judged. And besides,"

Archer smiled. "You mentioned Phantasmal Beasts, did you not?" he asked. He didn't expect an answer though, given he continued immediately afterwards. "Perhaps this might offer some amusement for the King."

Sakura looked concerned about that, and briefly considered. "King of Heroes" she began. "I do not wish to presume to tell you what to do, however as the Supervisor of this city, no as a resident of this city, I ask of you: please, do not cause overmuch damage or loss."

Archer looked at her, but this time while Sakura bit back on further words she refused to avert her eyes. She trembled as Archer her gaze in his crimson eyes, the seconds passing like thick caramel flowing. And then Archer smiled.

"Very well," he said. "The King is generous, and he is kind. As you have asked, I will grant this city my mercy, and curb my desire for satisfaction and merely pass swift judgment against the criminal Unquiet Dead that is Nrvnqsr Chaos."

Sakura bowed. "You have my thanks." She said.

"Raise your head." Archer said. "You are brave, child, and have much promise. Will you stand by my side on tonight's battlefield?"

In truth he wondered about that too. Truly the girl had promise, but she was a Beggar for Knowledge still. A lowly breed, decayed from the noble Seekers of Truth of his day and age, playing with lives and treasures as gamblers with coin, unheeding of loss and sacrifice so long as they attained knowledge to hoard for no greater purpose beyond merely gaining it.

He would see.

He would see if this child was yet another of the lowly filth that the wearying of the eons had reduced the Seekers of Truth into.

Sakura hesitated, and nodded. "Yes." She said. "I will."

"You hesitated." Archer pointed out. "It was ever so brief, but you hesitated. I am no tyrant child. If you wish, you may remain at a safe place and await news of victory."

 _He would be fair, and seek her reasoning. If it was true, then he would give her further chances to prove herself in the future. If it was false, then it would be such a shame._

 _He would still fight for her, to test the other 'Heroic Spirits' who would come to claim the Grail._

 _But she would sink below consideration._

 _It was a shame, but such was the way of things._

"I admit that I am…afraid, of what is to come." Sakura said, and then she sighed. "My apologies, but I will speak frankly."

"Very well,"

"When I was a child," Sakura said, looking out at the Sun as it dipped under the horizon. The gold and red of sunset shifted, turning to the ultramarine and pearl of twilight. "My sister turned into a vampire. She killed so many people, including my mother, and bathed me in blood. Since then, I've been afraid of vampires, and they've haunted my nightmares since."

"Is that why you fear my eyes, child?" Archer asked gently, and Sakura nodded.

"Yes," she said. "And not just that…anyone who has an aura of strength and power far greater than my own, they also make me afraid…"

"So why?"

Sakura took a deep breath. And then she faced Archer, who smiled at the resolution in her eyes as she met his eyes. There was fear there yes, but she was fighting it. It was a hard fight, but she was _winning_. "As you said," she said. "If you admit your fear, your weakness, you can overcome it, and become stronger."

"Can you do it child?" Archer asked.

Sakura smiled. "Yes." She said firmly. "I've done it before."

"Oh?"

Sakura rubbed the back of her head. "As I said, my sister bathed me in blood." She said. "For years afterwards, I was afraid of blood, so much that I'd get a panic attack even at the sight or smell of raw meat. But I fought it, and I overcame it."

Sakura sighed. "I know that I can do it." She said. "So I'll stand with you against Nrvnqsr Chaos, and overcome my fear. And I'll stand with you against other Masters and Servants, if you would grant me the honor of fighting by your side against them, King of Heroes."

"Most Servants would kill you in the blink of an eye." Archer replied with a smirk. "But I suppose against enemy Masters you should be able to fight. Very well, I grant you such an honor."

Sakura bowed her thanks, and Archer waved her off. "If you wish to thank me," he said. "Then live up to your words when the time comes."

"Yes, King of Heroes."

"Is there more you have to say?" Archer asked then.

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod. "Nrvnqsr Chaos did not come to this city merely to feed. No, apparently he came here in pursuit of the White Princess of the True Ancestors."

Archer's eyes widened at that, and he smiled. "The White Princess is here…?" he asked, and Sakura nodded.

"Yes," she nodded. "Do you know her?"

"I know _of_ her, through the Grail." Archer said. "She did not exist in my day and age, though her kind did: The Guardians of Nature, those which you know as the True Ancestors. Born of the World and the Calamity from the Sky, the so-called Crimson Moon, but worthy of respect even from the King. Yes, I would very much like to meet with her."

"Unfortunately I don't know where she is at present." Sakura said apologetically. "I will have my familiars keep an eye out."

Archer nodded. "That will suffice." He said. "There is more…?"

"Yes," Sakura said with a nod. "As with Nrvnqsr Chaos the White Princess did not come here on a whim. Apparently, she is here to hunt another Dead Apostle, the Serpent of Akasha: Michael Roa Valdamjong."

"And he is…?"

"He claims to be a Dead Apostle Ancestor," Sakura said. "Though from what I've read the rest of the ancestors don't acknowledge his claim."

Archer laughed, the sound of which was oddly-relaxing. The King of Heroes pushed himself off the rails, and began to walk away, Sakura following but walking slightly behind him out of respect. "An usurper of usurpers…?" he remarked. "Such a jest…though I wonder how he survived his fellow usurpers' wrath."

"Apparently he's quite powerful." Sakura said. "According to my family's lore, he was the one who awoke the White Princess' bloodlust, causing her to briefly go insane and destroy most of her remaining kin. And it is because of this that she endlessly hunts him down over the centuries since."

Archer paused to look at her. "How did he do it?" he asked. "Defiling the White Princess so…?"

"Apparently he somehow managed to trick her into consuming his blood." she said. "Combined with his magecraft it gives him a unique form of immortality even when compared to the rest of his kind. How he managed to trick her though, my apologies but my family's lore does not record that."

"A shame," Archer conceded. "Speak frankly from now on, Sakura Tohsaka."

"Huh? Oh I uh…as you wish, that is, yes, King of Heroes."

Archer chuckled and nodded before continuing on his way. "So what more can you tell me of this Serpent of Akasha?" he asked.

"He has powerful magecraft, supposedly even some dating back to the Age of Gods." Sakura replied. "My family's lore doesn't say how he acquired much less managed to master it, considering he's a Human born in the modern era, but it's apparently given him enough power to defeat the Black Princess at one point."

"Powerful," Archer conceded. "While I would rather not dishonor the White Princess by stealing her quarry, should I cross paths with this serpent, I would test the limits of his power."

"And thou shalt trample the serpent underfoot…" Sakura murmured, and Archer laughed.

"You're a poet, Sakura Tohsaka." He remarked.

Sakura smiled and bowed. "Sorry," she said. "But I can't claim something that isn't mine. I paraphrased that line from the Bible."

"Ah I see." Archer said with a nod. "A follower of the Christian faith, then…?"

"No," Sakura said. "Not really…"

It was a vague answer, but Archer did not pry. He'd no love for gods and religion, but he could _tolerate_ others' beliefs in the divine. His mother had been a goddess – literally – and out of respect for her and concern for her position he had allowed his people to continue their worship of the gods despite his bad blood with some of them and _especially_ with Ishtar.

 _I will never forgive them though…for Enkidu…for my people who they would keep in chains of ignorance…it is only for my mother's sake that I tolerate their followers…_

And speaking of gods and their followers…

"That priest," Archer began.

"Kirei…?" Sakura answered. "He was my father's former apprentice, and he's a retired Executor. He's also my…magical instructor, though I…"

"No confidence in your skills…?"

Sakura lowered her face. "I just wanted to be normal." She whispered. "It's too late for that now though. Once you taste the forbidden fruit, you can't forget it. And there are responsibilities I can't turn my back on. And so, I…I don't know…"

"You don't know what it is that you really want?" Archer asked, and Sakura nodded.

Archer chuckled. "That's fine for now." He said to Sakura's surprise. "I doubt if anyone ever recorded this in my legend, though I wouldn't be surprised if no one did. Sycophants all of them, but when I set out to seek immortality, a part of me wondered if I would succeed, or even return to Uruk at all. And I most certainly never expected I would succeed and fail all at the same time."

Sakura looked confused, and Archer paused to clap her shoulder reassuringly. "This war," he said. "You should see it as a journey to learn from, Sakura Tohsaka."

Sakura was silent, but eventually nodded slowly. "Yes," she said. "And thank you."

Archer smiled. "The King looks after his people." He said. "Now come, we have a vampire to hunt."

"Yes, King of Heroes."

* * *

Rider sat silent atop a concrete post, invisible in astral form as he watched the boy named Shirou Emiya make his way home down the street from his school. He loathed the task his Master had given him, his pride finding it below him.

 _I am no assassin, striking without honor from the shadows with knife and poison._

Still, his Master had commanded him to kill the boy as to spite the Master named Sakura Tohsaka, and he would obey.

In truth he had almost rejected the woman's call when she had summoned him from the Throne of Heroes. It had been a strange call, the woman speaking with two voices at once, and most disturbingly it was those of a man and a woman at the same time, as though they were one and the same.

The call had been dripping with arrogance, the imploring words hollow, as though the woman did not know or care that the Heroic Spirit had to consent to become a Servant, and may reject the call should they find it below them. Instead the woman spoke the words as though they were mere formalities, and expected to be obeyed without question, purely as a matter of course, out of one form of entitlement or another.

And he would have rejected it too…had not it been for a _third_ voice he could hear through the two other voices.

It was a small thing really, just a little girl's voice barely audible through the other voices. And it was screaming.

 _Helpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpme_

It was for that little girl that he answered the call, only to find someone or something else standing in front of him when he appeared. But he didn't raise his hand against her.

If he did, then she would die, for someone or something was using her body, the child screaming in the prison of her own flesh.

And for her sake, he would accept this dishonorable command, and others that came after. Until he held the Grail in his hands, and he could save her from the living nightmare of her existence…he would do what he must. He was a hero after all.

And he would be the hero that little girl needed and wanted. Just like with Andromeda long ago, he would save the girl and kill the monsters.

Rider rose from his perch, and with a leap he moved to silently but swiftly continue to shadow the boy on his way home. He could kill him here of course, but Rider did not want to do that. He had nothing against the boy, so a touch of mercy wasn't out of the question. It would be a quick and painless death, in his home.

His 'Master' probably wouldn't agree, but she only said to kill him and not _how_ to kill him. So everything else was up to Rider.

And so Rider would do things his way.

* * *

Arcueid's claws flashed in the Moonlight as she ripped the Dead apart. Most of them were just shambling corpses, their lifeblood stolen from them by Roa's fangs and their bodies animated by his power.

A couple though, were more powerful than that, and were even now trying to run from her. That won't do _at all._ Oh she had nothing against Dead Apostles as a whole – they were her kin's creation after all – and she even counted a few among the ancestors as her friends – like that boyish-looking ancestor in Rome who kept sending her gifts for one reason or another – and one of them was _family_ specifically her 'grandfather' Zelretch.

But this was _Roa_ , and it was personal.

Personal…Arcueid frowned at the word. Now there was a concept she hadn't attached to Roa since…well, forever or at least since he'd tricked her.

And now she was frowning.

 _What was wrong with her?_

Ever since she'd met that boy two nights ago she's been acting strangely. Things usually followed a usual pattern: Roa would reincarnate or something would turn up necessitating a True Ancestor's attention. In response she'd wake up, leave the Millennium Castle, deal with it, and then go back to sleep. Any interactions with beings would be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

But now…now she was _deviating_ from that pattern.

" _Did that boy do something to me?_ " she thought angrily. That anger grew with another thought. " _I…I do not understand. What is this…feeling?_ "

Snarling, her eyes flashed from red to gold, the fleeing Living Dead freezing in their footsteps. And with a burst of power that left craters on the ground from her feet, she swept past the Dead leaving bloody chunks of flesh splattered on the ground, and came to a halt just before the two Living Dead.

Claws flashed and they were reduced to ribbons. Arcueid took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky. Again, images flashed through her head of a green country in the morning, bringing with it a promise of calm and rest that made her chest hurt with a sense of longing.

It was something that she could not understand, and she sighed as her eyes turned back to red. " _I have to see him._ " She thought. She looked around her, and then back up to the skies. " _Roa and even Nrvnqsr Chaos can wait for a little longer. I want to see him. I want to know what he did to me. I want to…I want to…I want to…what do I…?_ "

The ground breaking under her feet, Arcueid leapt and away, sweeping over the rooftops of the suburbs as she sought the boy who'd shown her a dream.

* * *

Silvered blades launched blindingly-fast from Bab-ilu's portals, and swept the windows of the five-story apartment before them clean. Or at least, the windows of the side facing them that is.

Sakura's familiars had detected a large amount of blood in the immediate area, along with a massive concentration of magical energy. Considering Nrvnqsr Chaos' existence, it was probably him, and she and Archer immediately made for the location.

"No one can hear or see…?" Archer asked. It was a bit late after the fact, but he could smell blood and death in the air, and it was doing nothing for his temper.

 _No one preyed on and killed his people with impunity, no matter how degraded so many of them had become._ _ **No one**_ _…_

"The bounded field is set." Sakura replied. "As long as they stay outside the threshold, they can neither see nor hear, or indeed, sense what lies inside."

"Good," Archer said, golden light flashing as he donned his armor. He swept his twin swords from behind his shoulders into his hands, and to Sakura's surprise the blades folded back into twin tonfas. "Are you ready?"

Sakura didn't reply at once, instead opting to close her eyes while taking several deep breaths. Archer waited patiently, until she opened her eyes and nodded. "I'm as ready as I can be." She said with her voice steady but with a hint of fear kept tightly under control.

Archerr nodded, and led the way. As he passed the threshold, he gestured, a glowing hammer flying from Bab-ilu to slam through the front doors. There was an explosion, blowing out the ground floor in clouds of dust and grit, and forcing Sakura to take cover behind Archer as the entire building collapsed in on itself.

"Here they come." he said, and then with a roar a monstrous anaconda burst through the rubble and hurled itself spitting and hissing at the King of Heroes. Silvered blades flashed as Bab-ilu tore it to pieces, and then Archer was charging forward, Enki's blades swinging out and trailing sparks as they dragged along the ground.

And then Archer brought them up, sweeping through their ranks like a whirlwind, the golden blades sending blood and shadow flying even as Archer trampled their bodies underfoot. "COME!" he roared his challenge as he crossed his swords and split a giant ape into four. "COME AND FACE THE KING OF HEROES IF YOU DARE!"

Behind him Sakura reached into a pocket, and withdrew a steel cylinder. A flick of a thumb opened it, and as pack of hounds snarled and snapped towards her she swept it through the air, glittering clouds of powdered diamonds trailing behind it. " _Glanzen sie wie die Sterne der Nacht!_ " she shouted.

In an instant the trailing clouds grew animated, sweeping towards the hounds and stripping them right down to the bone in a matter of seconds. Fur, flesh and blood, shadows and energy, it didn't matter, they were scattered mist-like into the air by the twisting and swirling clouds of diamond.

But she didn't stop there. Sakura gestured, tendrils of diamond carving a magic circle into the ground under her feet. It flashed into life at another gesture, the magus already speaking the next words of her aria. " _Glitzern sie mit gewissem Licht und verkunden sie dem Schicksal des Todes zu meinen Feinden!_ " she said.

In response the diamond powder swirled and fused, forming paper-thin wafers of gleaming diamond hanging in a precise geometric pattern around the magus. More creatures closed, but briefly hesitated at the sight. Sakura pointed her index fingers in opposite directions, prana gathering at their tips. She narrowed her eyes. " _Bullet Holle_." She said.

Gandr erupted from her fingers, slamming into the diamond wafers. The wafers flashed as they were struck, drawing mana from the environment to refract and reflect the Gandr rounds. The Gandr rounds _multiplied_ as they bounced back and forth across the diamond wafers, borrowing some of the diamonds' conceptual weight, and then erupted outwards in hundreds of dark projectiles of death.

Nrvnqsr Chaos' creatures didn't stand a chance, and were torn apart in moments, the Gandr leaving the ground pockmarked behind them.

Archer shot a surprised glance over a shoulder, and took in the carnage at a single glance. He smiled as Sakura brought her barrage to an end. "Impressive," he said as he casually beheaded three more apes and stamped down on a snake's head. "Not bad for a child."

The smile vanished though, as tendrils of shadows shot out from the rubble towards the glittering mystic code and the girl within, breathing heavily. Archer's face twisted into a frown, blades leaping from Bab-ilu's portals. The slammed into the ground, and pinning the shadows in place before they could reach the girl.

They writhed as though in pain, and ripped themselves free. Sakura noticed and counterattacked, only to be utterly stunned as her _danmaku_ was absorbed by the shadows with no effect. And belatedly, she noticed that no more of Nrvnqsr Chaos' creatures were present or attacking.

Archer nodded and turned slowly to regard the figure standing atop the mound of rubble. It was a muscular-looking man, or at least he looked like a man, dressed in black clothes. His hair was grey, and his face was oddly-contorted somehow. His eyes were red.

"So," Archer said. "The monster finally shows his face. Are you prepared to face judgment for your crimes, mongrel?"

Nrvnqsr Chaos smirked. "A Servant," he said. "And the King of Heroes to boot…yes, this will do nicely."

Archer sneered. "You dare consider using _me_ as a source of energy?" he spat. "Such impudence…! Ten thousand deaths will not suffice!"

Crossing his blades before him, Archer roared and charged, Enki's blades trailing sparks as he closed. Nrvnqsr Chaos' shadows swirled and erupted, only for Archer to jump and over them, Enki crossing and sweeping outwards as the King of Heroes landed and turned behind Nrvnqsr Chaos.

And above the battlefield, unnoticed by the combatants save for Archer, a golden star shone bright.

* * *

A/N

The moment Archer drew his swords Enki has begun charging in high orbit.

Note on Servants: Proto-Gil might seem OOC, but from how he's portrayed in Fate/Prototype he's much more benign, if still kingly figure. Based on that, I plan to play up his supposed Chaotic Good alignment, and make him as the great and heroic figure his legend portrays him as. In particular, the legend states that Gilgamesh was a very well-loved king, and the one thing his people complained about his rule wasn't his conscripting people to build roads, walls, and other public works, it's his insistence on the 'first night' tradition. Otherwise they were quite happy with their king.

Rider might also seem OOC, but then again Medusa's biased towards him (he did kill her). Also, even if he is like Shinji, Shinji wasn't always pure evil, and was apparently quite nice to canon Sakura until she started pitying him. And he apparently turned over a new leaf in UBW's True End. Back to Rider, well in Fate/Prototype he genuinely sympathized with his Master, so I don't see why he shouldn't with Rin, or at least what's left of her that is screaming inside. The cases aren't that different TBH.

Edited: May 29, 2017.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 6

Sakura watched as the battle between Archer and Nrvnqsr Chaos unfolded, and wiped the blood from her nose. As expected, considering the…patchy, construction of her mysteries and lacking a crest of her own, using _Sterne der Nacht_ and _Bullet Holle_ as single-count spells was proving a heavy strain on her body.

And now she was trying to keep up with the speeds the King of Heroes and Nrvnqsr Chaos were moving. To an ordinary Human they would have been coloured blurs of light and shadow flashing all over the battlefield. To her, even with reinforcement they were still moving fast enough to leave afterimages behind them…and it was making her head hurt some more.

Still, with that said the King of Heroes had the advantage. Nrvnqsr Chaos was unwilling to get too close, an understandable sentiment, considering Archer's conceptual weight Nrvnqsr Chaos' regeneration might not be able to cope if he gets cut by Archer's golden blades. Even so however, the vampire still fought hard, his metastable shadows taking the form of curving, serrated blades, fanged mouths, writhing tendrils and billowing clouds and waves of darkness.

They threw themselves at the King of Heroes, seeking to crush him, to tear him apart, to _consume_ him into their being. In the midst of the storm of darkness Archer was like a mountain that shone with light, his being unsullied by the darkness around him. Every swing of his swords tore the darkness apart, and denied its insatiable hunger as he sent dying shards flickering into the void.

Sakura blinked, wondering why Nrvnqsr Chaos wasn't sending any more of his beasts against the King of Heroes. But then again…ordinary beasts weren't of much use against Archer. Nrvnqsr Chaos _could_ use his Phantasmal Beasts, but they would cause a lot of damage, and Fuyuki _was_ Association territory.

If he got too…flashy, then he'd be risking an incident between the Association and his faction in the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. And that would risk more than his position as the tenth: among the Dead Apostle Ancestors, position changes were literally a matter of life and death…or worse.

Sakura didn't worry much more about that, as she felt someone approach from behind. Stilling the familiar fear from the murderous aura – easily on par Nrvnqsr Chaos' terrifyingly enough – she turned to spot Ciel standing implacably several steps behind her. "I thought I made it clear that you were not to interfere with my affairs." The Burial Agent remarked coolly.

"This is my city." Sakura replied, keeping the fear out of her voice. "That makes it my business as well."

"You have absolutely no idea who you are dealing with, Tohsaka." Ciel said. Sakura actually felt amused at that, strangely enough. But then again she had the King of Heroes with her…even if he was a bit busy at present.

"Maybe," she said. "But I could say the same for you."

"Last chance Tohsaka," Ciel replied. "Take your Servant and leave."

Sakura didn't answer at once, instead opting to look at Ciel in the eyes. The fear returned but she fought it down, resolutely fighting it until she could completely take in those cold, determined eyes. Much like hers, though she didn't know it.

"No."

"So be it, magus."

Black Keys flashed into existence as _Sterne der Nacht_ swiveled its diamond wafers, and then Ciel was charging, a black blur through the air. " _Bullet Holle…!_ " Sakura shouted, opening fire.

Ciel's eyes briefly widened in surprise, and then she was flying back. Her clothes were proof against such a common spell as Gandr, but quantity was a quality of its own. The rain of hundreds of dark projectiles pounded her into the far wall, and she felt her flesh be reduced to bloody pulp under the barrage.

It hurt but…nothing could really hurt her anymore.

Nothing…not since Elesia had died…and she became 'Bow'.

So she let the magus rain death on her. She let Tohsaka reduce her to pulp mixed with the rubble of the wall as it collapsed under the deluge. And in the next instant after her immortality imposed itself, she rolled out of the way and charged to outflank the magus.

It wasn't completely successful, it took only a thought it seemed, for the magus to rearrange her mystic code to keep up the barrage on Ciel. But moving parallel to the dome diluted the barrage, most of the dark projectiles slamming into the ground.

Ciel grinned, going faster and faster in a slow spiral inwards to disorient the magus until finally, she ploughed through the mystic code and slammed a series of blows into Tohsaka's chest. The magus flew back, coughing blood and causing Ciel to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

 _Those blows should have completely collapsed her chest cavity. Reinforcement…? Very good reinforcement too…_

Ciel snorted as the mystic code broke into great clouds of dust as the magus flew out of her circle. For a moment they drifted indistinct, and then the magus' will reasserted itself, and the clouds swarmed at Ciel.

Black Keys flashed between her fingers and through the air as Ciel blew the clouds back, and then with the crack of breaking earth beneath her feet she closed with Sakura and caught her by the throat. "I told you, didn't I?" Ciel asked as Sakura's eyes widened with the realization of impending death. "You have no idea who you are dealing with."

"And neither do you, mongrel." A man's voice remarked, dripping with malice. An instant later and Ciel was literally cut to ribbons by a storm of blades, Sakura falling to the ground. And then she was scrambling back with a mix of horror and disgust, away from the severed hand that had been clutching her neck mere moments ago.

And in another instant Ciel was back, only to be crushed into the ground by a single foot on her back. Archer twisted his foot, and with a cry of pain Ciel felt her back snap.

A shadow fell on them, and Sakura gasped. "King of Heroes…!" she shouted, as a towering tidal wave of shadow blotted out the sky and fell to engulf them all.

Archer sneered, Enki's blades folding back into tonfas. Half-turning he raised an arm, and _caught_ the shadow as it fell. Ciel's body and the ground broke beneath his feet, and the air visibly shook, but the shadow could _not_ fall.

It was…impossible, but neither Ciel nor Sakura could or would deny what they saw then. Even though the sheer volume of the shadow should have overwhelmed him, should have swept past him and consumed those around him, _it could not_. It buckled and broke against his arm, but it could neither overwhelm nor pass him.

"I…AM…KING!" Archer roared, fisting his free hand and driving it into the shadow. The shadow buckled and rippled, and Sakura had to shield her face from the blast of displaced air, and then with a thunderous roar the shadow _exploded_ away from Archer's fist.

Ciel and Sakura alike gaped at the sight. It was the only reaction they could have, given the circumstances. Sakura knew that each of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors were powerful, but the top ten especially so. From what little her family had on them, any of the top ten could end the world on a whim if they so wished provided none of their fellow ancestors or the Association or the Church did anything to stop them.

And they would struggle at that. And the price to be paid for the Counter Force to maintain the balance between Gaea and Alaya in such a scenario would be horrendous in the extreme.

And Archer had just punched the tenth ancestor's full power away as though it was nothing.

Ciel knew all this and more. She knew that even Arcueid Brunestud would have difficulty against Nrvnqsr Chaos should he exert his 'chaos' to crush and consume her. True, that was largely because she limited herself to barely thirty per cent of her full power, and as a True Ancestor she would eventually (probably) return, but still.

But the King of Heroes had just _punched_ Nrvnqsr Chaos' shadow away like a strongman at a circus showing off his strength.

 _What have I gotten into?_

Nrvnqsr Chaos stared at Archer, his body covered in wounds and bruises, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. His shadows feebly stirred around him, his clothes sympathetically blown off from his body.

Everything around and behind him was a sea of rubble, the collapse of his shadows turning its force against him and everything around him. Belatedly Sakura realized the devastation, and wondered if and how many died from it.

She also realized that the bounded field had collapsed, and it wouldn't be long before people (and other Masters and Servants) noticed what was going on. If they hadn't already, that is.

"That…this is…impossible…" Nrvnqsr Chaos breathed with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"Impossible…?" Archer echoed. "Do you not know to whom you speak mongrel? I am Gilgamesh King of Heroes. Mine is the first legend upon which all other legends derive from, and which shall endure even as other legends are swept away by the sands of time. So long as heroes exist, so long as there are those who would bear the weight of the world on their shoulders, even should my name and mine be forgotten, my legend shall endure. For I am the first hero, the greatest, and all other heroes are forged in my image."

Nrvnqsr Chaos stared, unable to break Archer's gaze. It was like gazing into Altrouge Brunestud's eyes, knowing that death could come at any moment but one could do nothing about it.

 _This…man…no…this…being could slay her and her dog…_

 _I…I have to…I have to…even if the White Wing Lord…if I…_

"Do you wish to flee, monster?" Archer said silkily. "So you cannot even face death with dignity, but then again what can I expect from one of the Unquiet Dead? Get out of my sight. As a token of my…displeasure, I will suffer your departure with but a warning."

Archer snapped his fingers, a golden spear that shone like the brightest of stars flashing from Bab-ilu and burying itself in Nrvnqsr Chaos' chest. The force of its flight sent the vampire flying clear of sight, and further beyond, the gleam of the ancient Noble Phantasm vanishing far into the distance.

Archer now turned to Ciel. "Now, as for you," he drawled, and Ciel whimpered. Few people she had encountered could truly terrify her, and she could count them on one hand: Narbareck, Lorelei Barthomeloi, Altrouge Brunestud…and now she added another to that list. Gilgamesh: the King of Heroes of Ancient Uruk, reborn into the world by miracle of the Grail of Fuyuki.

Archer coolly regarded her, and then tilted his head curiously. "You are not of the Unquiet Dead." He finally said. "And yet it seems that like them you cannot die easily. What are you, El's priestess?"

"I am…I am an immortal." Ciel answered in a whisper.

"Are you now?" Archer answered neutrally.

"The world will not let me die." Ciel quickly answered. "So long as my nemesis, the Serpent of Akasha lives, I will continue to exist in this world."

Archer smiled coldly. "It's your fate to fight?" he replied. "I'm certain I have…ways, to end it in my treasury. I defied the gods once, little priestess. The price was terrible, but I have done it. What more fate? But I will not do that."

Archer's smile widened, and his next words would normally have elicited a violent reaction, but Ciel doubted that would be very wise. "I've no desire to stain my hands with a beautiful woman's blood, even if she is an enemy, and a beaten one at that." He said, and Sakura barely managed to keep from groaning and grimacing.

 _Legend does state he was a womanizer, but this seems a tad excessive._

"You may depart." Archer said dismissively. "So long as you do not raise your hand against me or my servant, I forgive your earlier…insolence. The King is merciful. Know however, that I seek the Serpent of Akasha's head as well, should I cross his path. But if you would cross his, then by all means, do as you need to do. Only…"

Archer paused and smiled. "I will expect better than this, priestess." He said, and turned away towards Sakura. Ciel bowed her head, and carefully getting to her feet vanished.

"Fast," Archer remarked with evident amusement. "For a Human of this age."

Archer strode past Sakura as she shakily got to her feet, and bowed at him. He cleared a large patch of rubble with a hand, and sat down before regarding Sakura. "So," he asked. He paused to survey the battlefield, mostly rubble but with patches of blood here and there, and nearby surroundings glittered with powdered diamond. "How was your first battle?"

Sakura didn't answer at once, but she eventually looked down. "Terrifying…" she whispered. Archer nodded. He expected as such, and approved that she didn't try to hide it.

"It always is." He said. "It never gets any easier, but you'll get used to it. That much will never change, no matter how deep the sands of time become."

* * *

The house was dark, though that wasn't surprising. Sakura had to deal with something, and the same went for Taiga. Still, Shirou had gotten used to coming home to people waiting for him, and he couldn't help but feel a bit forlorn over it.

As he took off his shoes, he felt his body tense up. No, that was wrong. He wasn't tense. It was…

 _It feels like…_

Visions and images of fire came to mind, along with the sharp stink of blood and death. Shirou drew himself up, and quickly glanced around him. " _What is this?_ " he thought. " _Why do I feel…threatened, here of all places?_ "

Walking slowly and quietly, he walked over to a storage cabinet near the front door, and withdrew a steel bat. "Trace on." He whispered. "Composition analysed. Fundamental structure analysed. Components reinforced."

Taking another look around and seeing nobody, Shirou crept deeper into his own home, keeping his back against the wall. He was angry, angry that someone would break into his home and threaten him here. That was the only possible explanation for this…feeling.

He hadn't felt it in a long time, not in ten years in fact.

It was the same feeling he had felt while he had walked through the burning ruins of the great fire ten years ago. It was nothing less than survival instinct at its purest, when one knew with every fabric of one's being that the only way to survive was to disregard everything around you, and to step forward and confront the danger on your own terms.

It still made him ashamed…and resolved.

Shame, because he remembered the screams and pleas of the people trapped and burning in the ruins. And he had ignored the screams and pleas to keep himself alive.

 _To save someone means not saving someone else._

 _Dad…_

Shirou took a deep breath as he paused just around the corner into the living room. How he had survived was a sin in itself, but at the same time…he knew he had to make it mean something. For the sake of those who died, those he couldn't help, for those who _couldn't_ be helped, he had to live.

Live, and give meaning to the lives sacrificed for his sake.

It was poor atonement perhaps, but it was still atonement for all that.

And there was also…

 _I'll make your dream come true for you._

" _Dad…_ " Shirou thought, and with another deep breath he jumped up from behind the corner, brandishing the bat. There was no one there.

After a moment, he lowered the bat and cautiously walked to the centre of the living room. He looked around briefly, his body tense and his makeshift weapon held relaxed but ready.

It was a small thing really, just a barely-inaudible displacement of air. Most people wouldn't have heard or noticed it. And even if they were as wary as he was right now, they probably wouldn't have noticed it either.

But then again…not many people were as attuned to death and its coming as he was.

In hindsight he should have reinforced his senses along with his weapon, and he might have done better. As it he ducked and rolled, avoiding a swing that would have taken his head and a follow-up that would have skewered his heart.

"Fast, aren't you boy?" the redhead in Greek clothing remarked.

At that he lunged forward, the scythe he was carrying flashing in the dim light as he sought to carve Shirou up. Grinding his teeth with the effort, Shirou clumsily parried every blow, each of which jarred his limbs and cut deep into the reinforced metal.

 _Just what the hell is he?_

The scythe caught the bat, and with a grin Rider forced it around and them before pulling Harpe free. It scythed towards Shirou's neck, but Shirou ducked…and received a heel to the chin that sent him flying through the sliding doors and passed the veranda into the inner gardens.

Rider flourished Harpe, confident he'd broken Shirou's neck. Then his grin faded as he heard Shirou cough, spitting out blood while staggering to his feet. "Oh come on." he complained. "I'm trying to be merciful here boy. Why can't you just stay down and just die?"

"Shut up!" Shirou shouted and brandished his bat. "Merciful…? Don't joke around! You broke into my house and tried to kill me! How is that merciful?"

"It's merciful when I planned to give you a quick death." Rider remarked. He held out his scythe. "Trust me boy, with this thing I can kill slowly and painfully."

"What the hell are you?" Shirou demanded. "And why do you want to kill me?"

"Well since you're clearly a magus I suppose I can give the brief of things." Rider drawled as he relaxed and let his weapon fall to his side. Shirou though stayed wary, ever as Rider walked closer and out of the house. "This city is hosting the Holy Grail War you see. It's a war between seven magi known as 'Masters' who summon seven Heroic Spirits as 'Servants' for the chance to offer a wish to the one and only Holy Grail. And to win that chance…well, simply put you have to get rid of the competition. With me, boy…?"

"Magi…? Masters…? Servants…? Holy Grail…?" Shirou echoed. "I don't know anything about that!"

 _Sakura…are you part of this? Are you involved in this…'war'? Are you putting innocents at risk for a wish? Sakura…I don't want to believe it but…you're the Supervisor…Sakura…!_

"Well isn't that surprising?" Rider drawled as he walked around Shirou. "This might be a blood sport, but it's supposed to be fairly well-known."

"I don't care about that." Shirou snarled. "Are you a Servant? And you still haven't answered my earlier question: why do you want to kill me?"

"Why yes, I am a Servant. In fact I'm the Rider Class Servant of the Fifth Holy Grail War."

 _The_ _ **FIFTH**_ _…?_

"As for why I want to kill you," Rider continued. "My Master told me to kill you. Apparently she's got some beef with that woman of yours, so she wants you dead to stick it to your woman where it really hurts."

"What…Sakura…she's not…I mean…"

Rider sighed. "Children," he said theatrically, and Shirou shook his head to clear it.

"So you're going to kill people simply because you're Master tells you to?" he demanded. "How can you call yourself a 'Heroic Spirit' like that?"

Rider raised an eyebrow. "I get a feeling there's a whole world of shining conversation behind that last question." He said. "But I don't really have the time for it. As for that question before that…no, I don't enjoy killing people because I'm told to. In fact I don't want to do it. It's hardly heroic, wouldn't you agree?"

"Then why?"

Rider's smile vanished, his face turning cold and sad. "I have to." He said softly. "I'm a hero after all. And there's a little girl out there screaming for help, and to help her I need the Holy Grail."

Shirou's eyes widened at that. Or rather they widened at three words: 'I'm a hero'.

 _To save someone means not saving someone else._

"It was fun talking to you boy." Rider said wearily. "If we'd met differently, who knows? Maybe we might have been friends. I'll make it quick."

Rider moved so fast Shirou could barely keep up, his bat moving barely fast enough to parry blows that would have ripped him to shreds. And then it happened: the bat _shattered_ , even Shirou's exceptional (as Sakura once described it) reinforcement unable to hold in the face of such punishment.

Harpe cut through his torso with a shower of blood and sparks, and Shirou staggered back with a shout of pain. Rider's eyes widened in shock however, and his next blow was a stab with the bottom end of his scythe, sending Shirou shouting across the garden and through the doors into his workshop. Rider then glanced at Harpe's edge, and narrowed his eyes. It looked as though Harpe had…had a run-in, with steel plating of some sort.

 _What in Hades' name?_

Shirou meanwhile rolled onto all fours, coughing up blood and trying to catch his breath. One hand went to his torso, at the bleeding wound that thankfully didn't seem too deep…somehow. Shirou just _knew_ that blow should have gutted him.

 _How?_

Unknown to him, as blood coated his right hand command spells flared into existence, while behind him a magic circle began to glow. A shadow fell on him, and he looked up to see an annoyed Rider.

A foot drew back and kicked him back. "I don't enjoy being lied to." Rider said softly. "Really, you had me back there thinking you were just an ignorant amateur when in fact you're the last of the seven."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Shirou spat, defiantly looking and glaring at Rider. Rider tilted his head.

"Fine," he said, raising Harpe and swinging it back behind his shoulder. "Keep lying to the very end!"

As Shirou watched the blade swing towards his neck, time seemed to slow down, but he refused to look away. He wouldn't. _He wouldn't_.

" _Is this how it ends?_ " he thought. " _Damn it…! I can't die here! Not like this…not when I haven't done anything yet…not without having saved a single life…not without having changed a single thing! For my ideals…dad's ideals…not like this!_ "

As the scythe swung towards his neck, Shirou's command spells flashed several times before flashing one final time, the magic circle behind them filling the workshop with blinding light. The light flooded out of the windows, and brought Arcueid up short, the vampire landing on a rooftop with a perplexed expression.

 _What's that? Boy…!_

There was a blast of wind, and with a cry Rider was sent flying through the wall and tumbling across the yard beyond. Shirou was buffeted aside by the blast, and he landed hard against the wall. As he lowered his arms, having used them to shield his face, he speechlessly regarded the person standing in front of him.

She was a girl of average height, wearing a dress of blue and white with rune-engraved plates of steel over her chest, torso, and skirt, while heavy gauntlets covered her hands and forearms. Her blonde hair was tied back in a bun, and cool green eyes regarded him coolly.

Shirou couldn't see a weapon, but he knew that she was more than capable of killing him if she so chose. And yet…he knew she was different…somehow…he just knew. And at the same time, he found himself comparing her to the blonde woman from before.

 _Was she also a Servant?_

And yet…even as he compared the two of them, he remembered the sweet, peaceful innocence of the woman's face as she slept in his home, when they woke up in that apartment-turned charnel house, and when he carried her home. Compared to her…this girl, from her eyes and face…she seemed cold.

 _Why?_

 _Why is someone like her, someone who only looks as old as me, so cold?_

 _Why?_

"Servant Saber," the girl suddenly said, and shaking Shirou from his thoughtful reverie. "Here I stand by your summons. Answer me: are you my Master?"

* * *

A/N

Nrvnqsr Chaos got beaten easily, but what did you expect? He's up against Gilgamesh, well his prototype version, but despite that I'd like to think that Proto-Gil is actually as good as Gilgamesh.

Ciel spilling the beans like that…oh come on. You'd do the same when you're up against someone on the same level as Altrouge if not greater. And yes, Gil was a womanizer. In fact, as I mentioned before the reason the gods sent Enkidu was not because of Gil's impiety or because he was a tyrant (IIRC his subject didn't mind getting put to work on Uruk's walls, roads, and other public works) but because Gil kept insisting on the first night tradition.

Mejciu: Enki is shown to be in the Gate of Babylon in Fate/Extra. I assume therefore that Ea is also in Bab-ilu, but Proto-Gil prefers Enki because it allows him to show off his skill. Ditto for the armour, Proto-Gil just likes to show off.

Noodlesandrice: Yes, I was aiming for that. Basically more king and less jerk and thank you for the kudos.

Gree: Well, Medusa is biased against him (he did kill her). I went for a compromise that has him sound like Shinji while having motivations similar to the ones he had in Fate/Prototype.

Server lock: A very bad joke considering he's a rapist who deserves to hang. No one mourned his death in Fate and Heaven's Feel.

Shiki Shiori: Yes, bullet hell. I'll get to that later on.

Preview for next chapter: catfight. And another villain appears, for the Fate side to RIN/Roa's Tsukihime side. It's a shocker. Feel free to guess who it is though.

Edited: May 30, 2017


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 7

Rider growled and sprang to his feet, Harpe held with both hands. He didn't like fighting women, certainly not beautiful ones unlike that monstrous Medusa, but at the same time he didn't like to lose.

Even more so, considering what the stakes of this war were.

As he stepped forward to resume the battle, someone landed behind him with the crack of breaking dirt. Whoever it was they were accompanied by a rather…ominous, aura. It reminded him more than a bit of Medusa, though it was…different. It was…purer, for a different thing, nothing like maddening, reality-distorting aura of the Gorgon.

Everything was decided in an instant.

His first instinct, to turn and engage the enemy to the rear, was aborted halfway through as he sprang back barely in time to avoid a solid blow. It blew a crater at least three feet deep into the ground, dirt and rock spraying up around the blonde woman and the Servant. And then she was leaping forward, moving fast even for a Servant.

Rider's eyes widened as he raised Harpe, barely blocking the new arrival's swipes and punches, or rather _turning them aside_ as he retreated step by step with every blow – he suspected that Harpe _might_ not be able to take her full strength on. And considering how each turned blow was jarring him to the bone, it seemed that caution was more than warranted.

He did _not_ want to lose his Noble Phantasm…well, one of them at any rate.

"Hades damn this!" he cursed angrily as he feinted and fled, the blonde woman in pursuit. Harpe flashed and vanished, wings flashing to existence on his sandals instead. The blonde's next swipe of her claws, which would have ripped him open from shoulder to waist, cut air as Rider flew up and back. "One Servant was fine, but two…? To Hades with that bloodsucker's orders, I'm not sticking around!"

Those words brought Arcueid up short, and she stared up at the retreating Servant. "Bloodsucker…?" she echoed. "Does he mean the tenth, or…?"

She blinked and then turned to another approaching threat. An androgynous-looking blonde was charging at her, an invisible blade rippling with twisting air held low. Arcueid dodged the upward swing, followed by the next several ones.

She couldn't smell blood in the air, well she could, and it was making her thirsty, but it didn't seem much…thankfully. If…that boy had died, then…

Arcueid felt her chest twist painfully at the thought, and she growled at the enemy in front of her. The painful – well that was…inaccurate, it didn't _really_ feel…physical…but it still hurt for some reason or another – twisting of her chest was joined by the relatively-familiar sensation of anger.

 _Why do I feel angry…angry over…over that boy getting hurt?_

 _Why?_

 _Is it because if he dies, I won't see that dream again?_

 _Or…is there…something else?_

 _It doesn't…feel like that's all there is…_

Arcueid braced herself, raising her left arm to catch the undersides of the enemy's wrists as he raised his invisible sword two-handed. At the same time, she curled her right hand into a fist and slammed it into the enemy's chest.

He saw it coming and sprang back at the same time, preventing his chest from being caved in. However, his armor was not so lucky, metal shattering into glittering shards that quickly dissolved into prana. Well, that was unusual…

…or so Arcueid would have thought had she not noticed that 'he' was actually a 'she'. The breasts – not very impressive compared to hers she would reflect in hindsight – covered by the collarless blouse were a dead giveaway.

Arcueid saw red in the next instant, her irises shifting from red to gold. Something…seemed to well up from inside of her, something that did not like the idea of this woman – or indeed any woman apart from herself – near the boy.

Arcueid roared, the sound blowing the blonde clear across the yard and through the stone wall to the street outside. It shattered nearby windows, and as Saber shakily got to her feet, her eyes widened as the blonde pounced on her, golden eyes shining bright, claws and fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

An armored fist swung up, slamming into the vampire's cheek. Arcueid staggered away, even for her a Saber Class' strength wasn't something that could just be shrugged off, and then Saber was on her feet, moving as fast as she could.

Arcueid dodged swing after swing before counterattacking, her claws swiping at the other woman. This time they found purchase, leaving shallow but bleeding gashes down Saber's arm. Saber riposted, cutting a bloody line on Arcueid's cheek.

Arcueid feinted and then caught the invisible sword with both hands. Magic exploded violently, the compressed wind bucking and buffeting the True Ancestor as she strained to keep her hold, while Saber ground her teeth as she tried to free her sword and strike her enemy down.

"Release the Wind King…!" she roared, and with a deafening explosion a miniature typhoon erupted around the sword and blew Arcueid clear. Saber's eyes widened in the next instant, the typhoon should have torn the other blonde apart, instead she twisted mid-air with the wind, and then everything briefly went black as a booted foot slammed into the side of her face.

Arcueid twisted through the air, and landed as agilely like a cat. Most of her clothes had been blown off or had been shredded away, and she could feel bruises and cuts rapidly-healing across her body.

She could see the other blonde also recovering though. With an angry shout Arcueid leaped forward, the other blonde moving to meet her.

The golden sword fell, but this time Arcueid caught her enemy's right wrist, and _squeezed_. As bones popped, the other blonde screamed, and Arcueid threw a punch in her face. Again bone cracked, only for Arcueid to receive an armored foot to her chest.

The blow forced her to release her grip – saving Saber from losing an arm as she flew from Arcueid's punch – and also cracking her breast bone: the kick had been accompanied by a powerful burst of prana.

Arcueid hissed as she tumbled back, feeling her body regenerating as she caught her footing. The golden sword lay on the ground, and she charged at Saber. Surprisingly, Saber met Arcueid's charge, also healing albeit at a slower pace. Arcueid didn't expect her to do so, and took Saber's fist in the face as a result.

Saber pressed the advantage, the battle degenerating into a brawl between the two women. Saber poured her prana down the drain pushing her regeneration, strength, and agility to the fullest, landing blow after blow on the other blonde's face and torso. Spitting blood, Arcueid caught Saber's right fist, Saber crying out as her partly-healed wrist protested painfully.

Her left fist was also caught, and then Arcueid _head-butted_ her back. Saber fell back several steps, and Arcueid pressed her advantage. Saber dodged her next punches, only to receive another foot to the face that sent her flying…and landing her right next to Excalibur.

Arcueid's eyes widened and then narrowed, and then she charged in. Saber grabbed Excalibur and swung one-handed, Arcueid narrowly-avoiding the swing but left with a bleeding cut over the bridge of her nose. She sprang back as Saber got to her feet, golden light beginning to build.

"I've had enough!" she roared.

"Likewise…!" Arcueid shouted back, reality buckling around her as she prepared to unleash her Marble Phantasm.

"Ex…!

"STOP…!"

The two women froze at the shout, reality snapping back into place as the Millennium Castle failed to manifest, the golden light also fading away as Excalibur's charging was brought to a halt. Shirou Emiya, his torso bloody, finally caught up to the two of them. "Stop fighting the two of you!" he shouted.

"Why Master?" Saber demanded. "She is an enemy…"

"No, she's not!" Shirou interrupted. "I've met her before, and even brought her home. If she was an enemy, she'd probably have killed me in my sleep then."

"But…!"

"The two of you please," Shirou pleaded. "Just stop."

Arcueid wiped at the blood on her face and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and when she reopened them they were back to red. As her anger faded – surprisingly thanks to visible confirmation that the boy was alive – or rather subsided to a tolerable level, she fixed the other woman with a censorious gaze. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Saber shot back.

"I don't have to answer any of your questions."

Saber fought her temper down. Before she could reply, Shirou approached and began to tug the other woman back inside. "Come on, both of you." he said. "Let's get out of here before people turn up from all this noise and start looking around. I don't want to have to explain to…to the Supervisor, why I've started something. From the look of things, something supernatural is up."

Saber hesitated, and grudgingly obeyed, unhappy at Arcueid's proximity to her Master. Arcueid however blinked as she felt Shirou place his uniform jacket over her. The…feeling, from earlier, the possessive feeling over the boy that had fed her rage and anger at the other woman, vanished, replaced by something…warm.

Yes, that was it. She felt…warm, on the inside.

"There we go." Shirou said. "You were running around and fighting the battle half-naked after that…burst of wind, earlier."

Concern…he was…concerned for her…? No one had ever been concerned for her, apart from her grandfather. But that was…unique. They were both unique. It shouldn't…

Shirou sighed as they walked back through the hole in his wall. "Look," he said, turning to the two blondes both of whom were refusing to look at each other. "Let's not fight, and try to talk this out alright? I'll just fix up this wall, while you wait inside."

Arcueid glanced suspiciously at Saber. Saber did likewise. Arcueid looked away, trying to fight the possessiveness away. "Fine." she huffed.

"If that is your command Master," Saber said softly and neutrally, but with a veiled amount of displeasure. "Then so be it."

Shirou sighed and nodded. "Don't fight please." He said, and turned to use his magic to fix the wall as Arcueid and Saber walked – warily – into the house. As Arcueid stepped over the threshold, she held onto the jacket tighter, feeling the calming warmth soothe her mind and emotions…

Wait…emotions…?

Arcueid froze as realization slammed into her. She didn't feel emotions. That wasn't part of her being as her kind made her. Oh she knew of them but she didn't…

That boy…what did he do to her?

… _a clear blue sky…a far green country…clean crisp air…peace…_

" _He showed me a dream, and made me_ _ **feel**_ _as a result._ " Arcueid realized, and she sighed. Typical magus…performing 'miracles' – True Ancestors _couldn't_ dream and yet he gave her one – without a care for the consequences. By all rights she should kill him for it but…did she really want to forget the dream?

Did she not want to see the dream again?

 _I want to see it._

 _I need to think some more about this._

She glanced at Saber and suppressed a groan as she realized what that feeling of possessiveness from earlier was. She was never stupid she only gave that impression because of her lack of perspective on many things. With the proper perspective and knowledge, she could easily figure things out on her own.

And now that she had perspective, she knew what it was: jealousy.

 _I was jealous. Me…I was jealous…me…I don't believe it._ _ **I was jealous.**_

Arcueid glanced at Saber and gave her a look. The other blonde didn't look very appreciative of it. "What is it?" she demanded.

"Nothing." Arcueid replied. For some reason she felt…disparaging, of the other woman's figure.

 _Now why would I feel like that?_

Shirou arrived and glanced at them both. "Well," he said. "I think this a good start, you managed to get and stay here without fighting some more."

They glanced at him blankly, and he sighed before walking over to a wall and turning the lights on. He glanced at Saber, and then at Arcueid. He sighed again. "We need to talk…a lot." He said.

"I agree." Saber replied, and Arcueid nodded.

"I agree as well."

"See, you can get along after all." Shirou said with a nervous laugh and smile. Neither woman responded, and after a moment Shirou coughed to regain his composure. "Just sit and wait, alright? I'll just…oh right."

Arcueid blinked as Shirou approached and took her by the shoulders. "What are you…?" she began.

"I have some spare clothes." He replied. "Before we talk, I think it's best if you changed into something more…appropriate, right?"

Arcueid blinked at him, and then nodded. "Alright." she said, and allowed Shirou to gently lead her away.

"Sorry for leaving you like this but," he said apologetically to Saber. "She might get lost in my house and I need to get the spare clothes."

Saber sighed and nodded, and as Shirou left she sat down at the table. " _Truly,_ " she thought. " _What a Master I have._ "

* * *

The spear was old. Very old, so old in fact that it didn't have a name that could be spoken or understood by men of the modern era. It existed only in the ancient Unified Language, and as such was lost to the ages.

It made the spear even more potent, and potent it was despite its unassuming appearance. The shaft was made from roughly-cut dark wood, the long-bladed head forged from black meteoric iron bound to the shaft by nails and iron cord. And for all that it shone like the brightest of stars, empowered by the prana of the King of Heroes and embodying ancient concepts that predated and led to the birth of such legendary, better-known spears such as Gungnir, Gae Bolg, and Gae Buidhe among others.

It took all Nrvnqsr Chaos had not to scream as he tried to pull the spear out of his body. Getting blown through the air and partway through a hill would ordinarily have been little more than a nuisance to him, but the spear…he was a conceptual being, an existence of principle given form.

And the spear was the crystallization of a forgotten legend, but one that held great power still simply because it was the root of others like it.

It cut into him at a fundamental level, the pain nearly making thought impossible. It prevented him from manifesting any of his beasts, or controlling his shadows in a coherent manner. It was all he could do to maintain cohesion of his form.

Even now, his breath came slow and heavy, his hands burning and dripping smoking, black blood onto the ground as they struggled to hold the spear's shaft and pull it out. Inch by inch, he pulled the weapon out, every minute seeming like years of pure agony as his ruptured concepts felt the strain of the World's reality marble trying to reassert normality.

And unless he could remove the spear, defeat would be inevitable.

Finally, with a loud roar of pain, Nrvnqsr Chaos succeeded in pulling the spear out, and cast it aside. It landed dully on the ground, and then dissolved into golden motes as it returned to the infinite and timeless vaults of the royal treasury of Babylon. Even so…the torment didn't end.

Nrvnqsr Chaos doubled over in pain, clutching at the gaping wound in his torso, spitting out blood and phlegm. The wound…it wouldn't close, leaking blood and ichor out of his body. He poured his energies into closing the wound, but it wouldn't.

It _couldn't_.

Struggling to his feet, Nrvnqsr Chaos' struggled to reassert his control over his shadows. It was harder and slower now than before, but he could do it. Shadows twisted into a meta-solid form, and plugged the wound.

Breathing heavily, Nrvnqsr Chaos knew that this was only a stopgap solution. The bleeding away of his essence had been stopped, but the wound in his being was still there. The pain was less, he could think clearer now, and he could control his shadows and possibly manifest his beasts once more, but the pain was still there.

He shook his head as he struggled to walk away. Damn the White Wing Lord's command to kill Arcueid Brunestud, he wasn't staying around to be caught once more by the King of Heroes. Nrvnqsr Chaos knew that the blood sport in this city would probably be won by that god-king from the depths of Humanity's past, and his 'mercy' would only last so long as they did not cross paths again. If they did…well, Nrvnqsr Chaos doubted he would get far.

And that assumed the King of Heroes even intended to show him mercy in the first place. He could just as easily have given up Nrvnqsr Chaos for dead, much like a man who stepped on a roach would think it dead when it could still crawl away to lick at its wounds.

Ordinarily, Nrvnqsr Chaos would have been furious at being looked down in such a fashion. But against the King of Heroes…if he believed in God, he would have been thanking Him for this second chance at life.

He needed to leave the city, and find a hideaway, away from the eyes of the White Wing Lord. The White Wing Lord would never forgive Nrvnqsr Chaos for such insubordination, no matter his reasoning. He needed someplace to hide, where he could study the damage to his being and repair it. And then…

And then he would need a new patron. Perhaps the Black Princess, she was the White Wing Lord's primary rival for command of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors…or the Black Wing Lord, who hated the White Wing Lord with a passion that bordered on the holy. Though, if he was to seek sanctuary with the Black Wing Lord…he would need a gift to prove his loyalty, given his previous allegiance to the White Wing Lord.

What information he knew about the White Wing Lord's plans and such would do well for starters. But he would need more, much more.

As Nrvnqsr Chaos struggled to leave, he felt a heavy presence manifest, and from the mists in front of him appeared a pair of figures. One was an albino child, her gold-silver hair a stark contrast to the dark purple of her clothes. The other was a swarthy giant wearing only a loincloth, and carrying a massive, jaggedly-broken piece of stone as a makeshift axe. One of his eyes glowed red, the other bright gold.

"Well, well, well," Illyasviel von Einzbern said with a smirk. "What have we here? A vampire and not just any vampire: Nrvnqsr Chaos, the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor. And from the look of things, he had some bad luck with the King of Heroes."

Illya giggled. "Well," she said. "I don't know why he didn't bother to finish you off, but let me fix that for him. Berserker, kill!"

* * *

Shirou sighed as Saber finished telling him about the Holy Grail War. A ritual usually held every fifty years – though the time passed between this Holy Grail War and the previous one was only ten years – wherein seven magi acting as 'Masters' would summon seven Heroic Spirits incarnated as 'Servants' would fight it out for a chance to offer their wishes to the Holy Grail.

And apparently 'Saber' – which was actually her class as Servants hid their identities and with it their strengths, weaknesses, and abilities by using their class names as aliases – was his Servant. True, the summoning _was_ accidental – though as to how that happened Saber had no idea (she wasn't a magus) and neither did Shirou – but what was done was done. They were Master and Servant, and they were in this war together.

 _More than likely Sakura is involved in this too, considering this ritual is held regularly in this city. So this was her 'family business' for the past few days…?_

"Okay I'm with you so far." Shirou said aloud. "Though if the Holy Grail really is such a miraculous thing, do we really have to fight for it? Something like that should be shared between everyone."

"You are of course free to hold that opinion." Saber said, sitting on the opposite of the table from Shirou. And seated right next to him was Arcueid, wearing a pink and white yukata that he'd found entirely by surprise in the spare clothes cabinet.

 _Is it…was it owned by one of dad's lady friends? If so, where are they now? Yukata like those don't come cheap, they probably wouldn't have left it here. Unless…_

Shirou sighed. Arcueid – though he didn't know her name yet – was sitting too close, even by western standards. And while her face was calm she was…well, calling her tense would be a polite way to put it. Though, if the situation weren't so serious, Shirou funnily enough might have described her behavior as 'territorial'.

 _Okay, maybe that's pushing it too far. It's not like she's a cat or an animal._

"…the Holy Grail however will only allow those worthy of it to use its power." Saber said. "And the determination of worth is regretfully, by means of trial by combat."

"Do you really mean that, about it being regretful?" Shirou asked after a short pause.

Saber didn't answer at once, and when she did, she briefly closed her eyes. "Yes I do." She said softly. "I've no desire for needless fighting. But sometimes you have to fight. And I will. For the sake of my wish and for yours I will fight. Our fates are bound together, Master."

Shirou scratched the back of his head and sighed. He thought about what she said, but no matter how he looked at it he just couldn't accept this. Using fighting as a means to determine who was worthy or not…that was just wrong. And not just on principle: he just couldn't trust a wish machine to someone whose only right to it was that he had fought and likely shed blood for it.

" _Magi walk with death_." Shirou remembered darkly. " _And because magi know there's no such thing as an afterlife, they…well,_ _ **we're**_ _largely a bunch of amoral bastards. Not all of course…dad, Sakura, maybe some more, but for the most part…_ "

Shirou sighed again. "For now, I'll accept that much." He said. "But tomorrow I'll talk some more about this with a fellow magus, and in a way, my…teacher, in magecraft, Sakura Tohsaka. She's probably a Master in this, but…!"

Shirou smiled as he raised a hand to forestall Saber's alarmed protest. "She's an old friend." He said. "We can trust her. Well, **I** trust her, and if you can't trust her, then I'll ask you to trust me."

Saber still looked mutinous, but she subsided with a nod. "Very well," she said. "As you are my Master I will obey. I will hope that your friend is truly worthy of our trust."

Shirou didn't like the disparaging way she talked about Sakura, but decided to let it go. That she agreed to let him talk about this with Sakura should be enough for now. Instead he turned to Arcueid. "So," he asked. "Are you also a Servant?"

Saber opened her mouth to refute that, that as a Servant she could recognize a fellow Servant when they were so close…and for some reason, she couldn't trust the other woman. She…gave off a dangerous, ominous aura, almost like some of the monsters she and her knights had encountered as they pacified the lands of Britain and later on, sought the Holy Grail.

 _And here I am, still seeking the Holy Grail once more, only without my knights by my side._

But Arcueid cut her off. "I am no one's servant." She said firmly, staring into Shirou's golden eyes with her crimson ones.

"S-sorry," Shirou said nervously. "I just…"

Suddenly Arcueid smiled and leaned closer. "Apology accepted." she said as she gave him a good look. Now that his attention was on her, and she _was_ sitting right next to him (unlike that other woman on the other side of the table), she felt less…tense…was that the right word for how she felt while Shirou was talking to the other woman, Saber, was it?

 _I really am jealous. Grandfather Zel…I really could use your advice right now._

"I don't really have any interest in this blood sport you magi play in this city." Arcueid said. "Unless of course, something that could really damage the World appears. In that case, I'd have to do something about it. It's what I do."

"What?" Shirou asked blankly.

"If you're not here for the Holy Grail War," Saber asked coolly. "Then why are you here? And what is your interest in my Master?"

Arcueid smiled. Happiness…isn't that what they called this? Emotion might not be so bad after all. "I'm here to hunt down two vampires wandering around this city." She said to the stunned response of the other two people at the table. "As for my interest in this boy…"

At that she trailed off, her smile fading. To be honest…she didn't really know why she was so…possessive, of him. Yes, he'd shown her a dream, and she wanted to see it again. But…was that really all there was to it? It felt…disappointing, somehow, if that was all it was.

She felt…as though there was something more about this that she couldn't see yet.

"I have a name you know." Shirou remarked dryly. And then he smiled, offering her a hand western-style. "Shirou Emiya, it's nice to meet you. And you shouldn't have left so abruptly like the last time. If you'd stayed, I'd have happily treated you to breakfast."

"Sorry about that, I was," Arcueid said, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "Well, I had some things to think about."

"Those vampires you mean…?"

"Not…really…" Arcueid said evasively. "Anyway thank you for letting me sleep here that time. And for not leaving out me cold there… _he_ would have no problem taking advantage of the situation."

"I couldn't and wouldn't have left anyone in that place." Shirou said darkly. "Now that I think about it, I wonder why we were never attacked while we were out cold. Unless you took them out before you collapsed."

"No, I did not." Arcueid said. "Most likely that Burial Agent Bow decided to deal with him first before turning on us while we were out cold."

"A Burial Agent," Shirou said exasperatedly. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"Burial Agent…?" Saber echoed, inwardly-annoyed at being left out of the conversation.

"The Church's best killers," Arcueid answered. "Bow's one of them. Normally I can handle her just fine, but like that…"

"About those vampires…" Shirou began, but Arcueid cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry I can take care of them. It's my duty after all, or rather what I was made to do."

Shirou and Saber looked surprised at that. "Are you a Burial Agent then too?" the latter asked.

"No," Arcueid said with distaste. "Bow and Crown are, though. Crown's much nicer than Bow, however."

"Then who are you?" Saber pressed. "You say that it's your duty to hunt vampires, and that's what you were made to do. So who are you really?"

"Saber…!"

Arcueid glared at the other blonde. She didn't like her tone. "First of all," she said. "Don't take that tone with me, because I don't answer to you. I told you before didn't I? I am _no one's_ servant. As for my name, my name is Arcueid Brunestud."

* * *

A/N

Fun fact: female cats don't really get along. Saber's a lioness. Arcueid is a cat. Go figure.

In all seriousness, don't misunderstand Arcueid. There's barely chemistry between her and Shirou right now, she's just being…territorial. And somewhat…schizophrenic, though it should be understandable considering she's beginning to explore her Humanity. Yes, I know that True Ancestors are not Human, they just happen to have Human bodies (well, near-Human ones based on the original Human template), but that's basically the whole point. If V/V (Type-VENUS) gained 'Humanity' (to the point she'd rather die from her kin's attack rather than awaken her body and in so doing destroy the surrounding city and kill everyone and everything living in it) through a humanoid astral-projection, True Ancestors should be able to do so on a greater scale considering they are physically Human (or close enough to hybridize at least once).

Saber pulled out Excalibur too fast you say? Can you blame her? There's a woman with red eyes, claws and fangs, can go toe-to-toe with Servants, can withstand Invisible Air's release at point-blank range, endure a prana burst-powered kick, and has an ominous aura. And she's in the grip of territorial rage. No, I don't think it was too fast.

Phuxeds: yes, regular Gil was the Archer of the previous war. I have plans for Saber and Archer. No, it's not a romance. Even if Proto-Gil is kinglier, his and Saber's characters still won't mesh well. That's all I'll say.

And now, I did say I would reveal the Fate-side villain in this chapter didn't I? I lied…just kidding. Here's to you, worldwanderer2.0. For those of you who've watched the Fate/Prototype trailer, all I can say is **MASTER DEGREES: SERAPHIM**.

* * *

Deep beneath Mt. Enzo, there is a cavern.

Here, the ley-lines intersect.

Here, the power of the Earth is gathered over a period of decades. It is used to power the summoning of Servants, to sustain them and reduce the strain on the Masters from keeping incarnated Heroic Spirits in the World.

And here, should the Grail be completed, the path to the Root would be opened.

And ever since the von Einzbern sought to cheat their way to victory during the Third Holy Grail War, here Angra Mainyu has slumbered.

Ten years ago the cavern was emptied. Ten years ago, the world was to be blessed with its own evil. Only the sacrifice of a man who sacrificed everything to change nothing foiled the god's designs.

And now, the cavern is filled once more. Angra Mainyu slumbers fitfully, waiting to grant its blessing and mercy to the world.

And here, in the heart of darkness, there was light, corpse-light, which made the rocks look pale and ill, the shadows as spots of plague, a disease of the very earth itself. A woman danced in the light, silvery peals of laughter filling the darkness and echoing over the still and clear waters of a bottomless pit.

Ripples flickered on the waters with her every step, fading out into darkness as she danced. She was beautiful, tall and slender, with hair the color of gold and silver blended together, it and her fair skin a sharp contrast to the black dress that she wore.

"Saber, Saber, Saber…!" she sang happily. "I always knew you'd come back! I knew you'd come back to me! I'll give you everything, and more, and you'll never throw it in my face like Kiri, right? Ah,"

Irisviel von Einzbern spun to a halt, her arms stretched out on either side, her face looking up with an angelic expression of joy. She opened her eyes, crimson irises beginning to glow. "I've waited so long." She whispered. "My one and only, King of Knights…!"

* * *

A/N

You didn't see that coming did you?

Edited: May 31, 2017.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 8

"Well now," Kirei Kotomine remarked with a note of amusement. "I'd say you've seen better days."

Ciel glared at the priest, but he just shrugged it off. Though, it wasn't like she expected otherwise. It was true after all: she _had_ seen better days. And while she found Kirei…disturbing, in some ways, she could respect the fact that the former Executor only said the truth as far as he saw it.

It didn't mean of course that he couldn't be deceived – truth was relative after all no matter what the cardinals said – and the truth he perceived and spoke of distorted as a result, or he could not 'deceive' by withholding or misrepresenting aspects of the truth as opposed to outright giving falsehoods, but still…

…it was something to be respected and recognized.

Though, calling him disturbing – there was just something _wrong_ with the way he smiled and looked at people – was probably more than a bit hypocritical. Even if it was just psychological in nature…well, plenty of people in the Holy Church were disturbing or disturbed. The Holy Church's Burial Agency's leader was a psychopathic murderer, and Ciel…well, she knew quite well that she was a textbook example of 'unnatural'.

 _We're not all that different from the magi we call heretics. At least they're honest about what they are or what they could become. Instead the Church's agents live a contradiction between the reality of their duties and the ideals of their faith._

 _No wonder so many of us go nuts._

"…bringing the Seventh Holy Scripture along would be of no use." Kirei was saying, and Ciel returned her attentions from her musings back to the priest. "I acknowledge the fact that its nature as a conceptual weapon would certainly give it a chance of damaging the King of Heroes as he currently exists but keep in mind his true identity. He stalemated the pseudo-Divine Spirit Enkidu, slew the Divine Beast the Bull of Heaven, and even killed Humbaba the Guardian of the Cedar Forest, a god in all but name. And that doesn't even go into the details of his legend, which on the surface implies him facing and defeating if not outright slaying other phantasmal beings during his quest for immortality."

"I already know all this." Ciel said dismissively. "There's no need to tell me that."

"Oh but I think there is, Elesia." Kirei replied, smirking as he dodged a volley of Black Keys from the furious Burial Agent. They flew past him and embedded themselves deeply into the stone wall. He quickly stepped forward and caught her by the wrists. He probably wouldn't be able to hold her off for more than a bit, but that would be enough. "Do you see?"

Ciel froze and then relaxed. Kirei let her go, and she promptly slapped him. "Never call me by that name again." She spat. Kirei shrugged it off.

"As you wish," he said. "But my point stands. You risk letting your emotions control you at times. As a fellow agent of the Church, I would be remiss in my duty if I did not warn you of potential…threats, to yourself and to your mission. Including your own self…"

"Enough, Kotomine." Ciel interrupted him. "Do you think I am so stupid that I would seek revenge for my humiliation and go after the King of Heroes?"

"Yes and no."

"What?"

"You would not seek revenge." Kirei said with a smile. "But if Sakura Tohsaka interferes in your hunt for your old…acquaintance, you might take umbrage at that. And _he_ would certainly take umbrage at you for potentially acting on that. Do not underestimate the depths of the King of Heroes' treasury. Forgotten weapons and artefacts from the dawn of history are secreted away into its vaults. Immortal you are now because of your past with the Serpent of Akasha, but heroes do not become heroes by failing to achieve the impossible. There may be…weapons, in the vaults which even you could not recover from."

Ciel narrowed her eyes but said nothing. She could not deny the possibility after all.

"Leave Sakura Tohsaka alone." Kirei said. "Even if she interferes with your business, leave her be. In any case, I do not doubt Roa could stand long against the King of Heroes' wrath. So long as he dies, why should you care about who killed him in the end? Remember your duty and objective, Bow!"

Ciel still said nothing, and Kirei clapped his hands together. "Of course," he said. "Other Servants and Masters and of course, the White Princess are fair game. With that said, even with the Seventh Holy Scripture you might find yourself having difficulties with the more powerful Servant classes. Rejoice, for I bring you a gift!"

At those words a Servant shimmered into existence beside the priest. He was a tall, lean, and well-built man in blue, with spiky matching hair. He held a crimson spear in his hand, and rested it against his shoulder. He looked at the priest with barely-disguised contempt.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ciel demanded.

"Allow me to introduce you." Kirei said, his smile somehow becoming even _more wrong_. "This is the Servant Lancer. Unfortunately, his Master was killed early on, and he came here seeking refuge, and perhaps a new Master to continue the war with."

"You wish for me to participate in the Holy Grail War…?" Ciel asked in disbelief. "Have you gone insane? We're supposed to be neutral in this matter Kotomine!"

"The situation has changed." Kirei replied. "Roa is here. Our neutrality may be…suspended, in such a case. Of course, whether or not you actively participate in the war is entirely up to you. I am merely offering assistance in case the other participants decide you are…inconvenient."

Kirei looked at both Lancer and Ciel. "I'll leave the details of your arrangement to the two of you." He said. "With that said, I'd rather whether or not you will work together be settled quickly or at least before the morning. If you wish, you may use one of my guest quarters to discuss."

"Anything's better than working with shit like you." Lancer growled. Ciel raised an eyebrow at that, the Servant clearly disliking the priest.

 _Not that he seems to actually care one way or the other, Kotomine that is._

For her part, on one hand Ciel had no desire to get involved in this ridiculous blood sport the magi were holding, or for that matter any wish to offer to the so-called Holy Grail. On the other hand, even setting aside the matter of the King of Heroes, she knew she would have difficulties facing other Servants, even with the Seventh Holy Scripture.

Having a Servant of her own could help in that light, though it would involve her in the Holy Grail War.

Ciel sighed. It was supposed to be a simple job. Infiltrate the region, find Roa, kill him (preferable permanently), and then leave.

It was not supposed to involve getting caught up in a blood sport between greedy magi and their Heroic Spirit collaborators. Considering the nature of the latter, perhaps…no, she had to admit it: she was well in over her head.

And as much as she hated to admit it (and certainly not _aloud_ ) she needed help if she wanted to succeed. And as Kirei said, what did it matter how or who killed Roa, so long as he died in the end?

"Alright," she said. "I'll take you up on your offer. But there's one problem with that."

"Oh?"

"I don't have command spells."

Kirei laughed. "A trifling matter," he said, holding up his right arm. Command spells flashed to life, covering his entire arm. "As the Overseer of this Holy Grail War, I am granted command spells to restrain unruly Servants or even take control of them from their Masters should the need arise."

He paused, his smile growing wider. "How I use them is at my discretion," he said. "Even giving _some_ of them to others should the situation call for it."

Ciel narrowed her eyes distrustfully, and offered an arm slowly. Kirei took it with his right hand, and held it over her right hand. Light flashed and three command spells carved themselves onto her right hand. Kirei let go, the light dying away but leaving three less command spells with him, and three marked on Ciel's hand.

"Well then," he said, glancing at Lancer and Ciel both. "Shall we contract the two of you together?"

Lancer sneered at him and then offered a hand to Ciel. Ciel took it. "Good," Kirei said. "Now, follow my lead Bow: let silver and steel be the essence…"

* * *

"You shouldn't trust him so much."

Ciel paused at her new Servant's words, and then turned to look back at the church in the distance. For a moment she was silent, and then she nodded before speaking. "You don't like him." She said. It wasn't a question.

Lancer snorted. "I'd sooner eat dog meat." He spat. Ciel raised an eyebrow at him. Considering _who_ he was, that was rather…vehement. "That cur is a real piece of work, mark my words. No, cur is too good for him, calling him that is an insult to dogs everywhere."

Ciel continued to look at him, but Lancer digressed. As it was, he could not say anymore. In fact, just this much was taking a lot out of him to resist Kirei's command spells. Even though he had a new Master, it seemed that previously-used command spells with lingering effects remained in effect.

 _Lancer, by the power of the command spell I forbid you from speaking of the circumstances of your previous Master's death._

 _By the power of the command spell, I forbid you from speaking of your previous Master's death._

 _By the power of the command spell, I forbid you from revealing anything and all of the truth about myself to any other._

 _By the power of the command spell, should you break any of the previous commands you are to slay any and all who have heard you save for myself._

 _And by the power of the command spell, should I be unable to stop you from striking against me, I command you to kill yourself._

" _Damn bastard,_ " Lancer thought darkly. " _Between Bazett's command spells and his own, he's got me hedged in. But this isn't over._ "

Lancer looked at his new Master. He still wasn't sure about her, but she seemed…decent, though she stank of blood. Not that he could judge based on that, nor would he: he probably stank of even more blood than she did.

 _I'll give her a chance._

"I don't know about that." Ciel finally said. "But perhaps you're right: Kotomine does seem to have an agenda of his own. However, I don't really care much for this 'war' to be honest: so long as Roa is killed, I'll be satisfied. But still…"

Ciel paused, narrowing her eyes. "If he's planning something" she said. "And it's not something that I can turn a blind eye on, I'll finish him off myself."

"Oh?" Lancer asked with a smile. "You don't mind coating your hands with blood…? I've met a few shield maidens in my time, and I'd say you might just get along with them."

Ciel didn't say anything for a while. "My hands are already covered in blood." She eventually said. "So long as it's not for nothing, what are a few more drops?"

Lancer hummed, and his smile grew. First Bazett, and now this Elesia or Bow or whatever her name was: it seemed that he kept running into really interesting women these days. "I suppose I can respect that." He said. "Rabid dogs get put down after all."

Ciel glanced at him but let it go. Considering Lancer's identity that was unexpected though in a way it made sense. He knew how savage he could be and it showed in his legend, so it would be logical to assume he would respect people who could control their rage instead of letting it control them.

"I'm grateful for that." She said.

"What?" Lancer replied. "Tell that to me after we get this Roa person, and after we win this war. Though, if you ever plan to kill that dirty priest let me lend you a hand."

 _Did you think killing me would be that easy priest? I'll stab myself in the heart afterwards, but that won't stop me from ripping your heart out first, and then dragging your shade screaming down to hell with me!_

"I'll keep that in mind." Ciel said, turning to walk away. "Let's go. We need to talk about our goals in this war, and it's best to do that in private. I don't like it, but I'm stuck in this war and I might as well make the best of it."

"Yes, yes."

* * *

Kirei watched Ciel and Lancer's departure through a window with a certain degree of amusement. He'd no doubt that someone like her would probably be suspicious of him, and Lancer would only feed that suspicion.

 _Wise girl…_

Sooner or later, she would discover his true agenda, and confront him for it. Ciel being what she was Kirei knew that his chances of survival in such a confrontation were slim. Lancer would probably be with her too, seeking revenge like a whipped dog for its betrayed master.

 _And when that time comes, Cu Chulainn will die by his own spear. They say wounds caused by Gae Bolg are fatal and cannot heal. What wonderful irony then, and no doubt the shades of those he has slain would rejoice, that Cu Chulainn would fall in such a fashion._

Though, that still left the matter of Ciel and his survival to be dealt with. And while he'd no real love for life, he had no desire to die either, at least not until he had his answers.

 _Why?_

 _Why do I feel delight in the pain and misery of others?_

 _I cannot deny my nature, but rationality makes acceptance so bitter. Or rather, it is bittersweet._

His thoughts turning back to the Grail, Kirei sighed once more at his inability to accompany his old master to the final battle of the previous war though thanks to the King of Heroes' arguments, he'd probably have murdered Tokiomi by stabbing him in the back once the Grail was won. A frown crossed Kirei's face at that, a frown of disappointment: the expression of shock and betrayal on his old master's face…

" _What a wasted opportunity,_ "Kirei silently lamented. " _But he gave different orders in case of defeat and he needed a backup as he already considered Sakura a failure by then…_ "

In the end though, Tokiomi never returned and his body was never recovered. Worse, the Grail had malfunctioned and had been destroyed, and in such an utterly destructive fashion too. It had been delightful in its own way, using his duties as a priest to gain opportunities to partake of people's grief and suffering in the aftermath, but still…

 _With the Grail, I could have…_

Kirei preserved Tokiomi's research on vampirism though, and had even presented it to Sakura on her tenth birthday. His lips twitched into a smile at the memory. Such rage…such despair…it had been _delightful_ …

 _Glass shattered against the floor as Sakura hurled the glass vials in rage. Corrosive compounds hissed against the floor, but Sakura didn't care. Instead she grabbed a chair and hurled it against the wall with a scream. It didn't break, but Sakura by then had turned to another target._

 _Kirei watched with veiled amusement as Sakura swept several books clear off her desk with another scream, and then slammed her fist down on a picture of her family knocked flat on her desk. Glass shattered, and staggering Sakura collapsed to her knees. For several moments she was silent, and then Kirei heard it: sobbing. And from there it wasn't long before he could see teardrops falling on floor._

" _Why?" he heard Sakura ask. "Why father? Was I…was I really…was that all I…all we were to you? Did you…did you even care…were we just…"_

 _Words failed the little girl, who covered her face with one hand and quietly cried at how low her father had apparently been._

 _How delightful…_

And speaking of vampires…

…Kirei opened the door into his living room, crimson eyes turning in his direction from where Rin Tohsaka, eighteenth reincarnation of Michael Roa Valdamjong, sat on the couch. The young vampire was dressed in a customized priestess' attire – ironic considering Roa _had_ been a priest and that the Church saw him as an abomination to be purged – and had apparently been idly playing with one of her pigtails before Kirei had arrived.

Kirei also noticed an unhappy-looking Rider, who was leaning against the wall in one corner of the room. "So," Rin asked. "How was Elesia?"

"She apparently ran into the King of Heroes." Kirei replied. "Apparently it didn't go well."

"Humph," Rin snorted. "What an ungrateful child. If not for me, she'd be dead right now. Instead as my…daughter, she is able to survive just about anything. And with her talents, she could be a bright star in her own right. But no, instead she plays a dog for the old men in Rome and aims to kill me. Wretch…I'll make certain to punish her soon enough."

Kirei said nothing, smiling only a small smile as Rin sat silently with her arms crossed. Yes, alongside Roa Ciel's eventual…betrayal – what delightful irony that word had – would be reduced to mere inconvenience. Though of course that still left the Grail to be won, and with the King of Heroes – apparently a different version just from appearance alone from the one who had been summoned during the previous war though he wasn't sure _yet_ as to the scale of the variation – standing by Sakura's side, that could prove more challenging than expected.

 _Well, nothing of great value has ever been achieved without equally great effort._

"Anyway enough about Elesia," Rin said dismissively. She then glanced neutrally towards her Servant. "I had wanted to rid the Emiya boy as a first step to breaking my sister's spirit, but it seems that Rider has failed."

"Oh?" Kirei said. "The slayer of the Gorgon Medusa defeated by a mere boy…? How the mighty have fallen."

"Bastard…!" Rider hissed.

"Enough…!" Rin barked, her irises flaring gold. "This Bickering among ourselves is pointless! It is not Rider's fault. A Servant came to his aid. Not my sister's thankfully, if that were the case we would be really fortunate if Rider had managed to escape with only superficial injuries."

"He summoned a Servant then." Kirei concluded. It wasn't a question.

"Saber Class," Rin said, and then she smiled. "Ordinarily it would be troublesome, but from Rider's description, and your description of Servants from the previous Holy Grail War, it seems that the Emiya boy is a chip off his old man's block."

"I suppose that solves the problem of Sakura Tohsaka then." Kirei said. "Saber and Archer – the same ones summoned in this war – both slew each other in the final battle of the previous war. And without her Servant…"

"Do not misunderstand Kotomine." Rin interrupted. "I have no desire to kill my sister. Rin Tohsaka and Michael Roa Valdamjong are two sides of the same coin after all. Breaking her spirit is merely a means to an end, not an end in itself."

 _That_ was a surprise to Rider, though he didn't let it show. Kirei just looked curious. "I would have her by my side as is only proper and with Arcueid Brunestud's head at our feet." Rin said with a chilling smile.

"A worthy ambition," Kirei remarked. "Would she cooperate?"

"Probably not," Rin conceded. "If you asked her right now, that is. Which is why we have to break her spirit first, and without tipping our hand in the process. Otherwise, she will oppose us to the bitter end. I don't want that."

"The vessel emptied," Rider suddenly remarked. "It will be filled with a new creed, is that it?"

"Well spotted, Rider."

Rider bowed, but inwardly he was sneering. " _Vile,_ " he thought in disgust. " _And you dare call yourself her sister? You would destroy everything that she is only to remake her in your own twisted image…? Abomination, I will see you cast from your stolen flesh yet, and cast out into the void, even if I have to drag you there myself!_ "

"We must be careful though." Kirei said. "Sakura Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya are good friends. It is likely they will ally with each other. Provoking them could prove…detrimental, to our goals…"

" _Our goals…?_ " Rin thought suspiciously. " _I wonder how true those words are. Still, you are useful right now, and I have been wrong in the past. We shall see if you are worthy of reward…or just food in the end._ "

"We have to reconsider the application of our strategy then." Rin said before getting to her feet. "But that is a matter for another time. Rider, come."

"Going out…?" Kirei asked.

"I'm hungry." Rin said with yet another chilling smile. "People work best when their stomach is full you know?"

"You will draw attention."

"Possibly," Rin conceded. "But that is what Rider is for. And Elesia is getting acquainted with Lancer – you are not the only one with eyes and ears Kotomine – while Arcueid Brunestud…"

Rin's smile grew. "It's been a while since I met the White Princess." She said. "I hope to meet her again. But I would not mind if I do not meet her tonight. I have ten years to make up for after all. So I'd better get back where I left off last night."

* * *

A thunderous roar shook the night air, Berserker charging forward with his axe held in one hand. The shadows surrounding Nrvnqsr Chaos bloomed and then erupted, wolves, stags, tigers and other animals rushing at Berserker while a number of raptors made for Illya.

The little girl smiled and held up a hand. Prana flickered in a crimson halo around her hand, and with the sharp stink of ozone and the crack of displaced air blew away the approaching raptors.

Berserker for his part waded through the horde of beasts, each swing of his axe spilling blood and shadow in copious amounts behind it. And not just his axe: Berserker wielded his axe with one hand, using the other freely either to bash away or crush yet more. An ape learned this the hard way, charging at Berserker only to be caught by the neck and crushed against the ground.

Sparks flew through the air as sheer weight of numbers overwhelmed Berserker's defenses, but Nrvnqsr Chaos' beasts' fangs and claws could not pierce his skin. If anything, it just made him angrier. Realizing that beasts alone would not be enough, Nrvnqsr Chaos ground his teeth and struck with his shadows.

It cost more effort and energy than normal to control the shadows, but it was worth it, the shadows leaving shallow but painful gashes on Berserker's skin. Berserker roared his anger, and Illya's smile faded as she shared her Servant's pain.

"So you can hurt Berserker after all?" she asked. "Well you are a Dead Apostle Ancestor after all. Still, enough games: Berserker, finish this already!"

Berserker's answer was a thunderous roar, his eyes glowing brightly as he swung his axe in a broad sweep at a speed that belied his giant stature. The shadows were blown back by the blow, and Nrvnqsr Chaos grinned.

"We'll see about that!" he shouted, crouching forward as his shadows erupted to blot out the stars and surrounding Berserker who was charging in with both hands moving to grip his axe. "You and your Servant will be food!"

"Is that so?" Illya said with a bloodthirsty grin. Berserker roared as he swung his axe to fend off the shadows, but tendrils of them wrapped around his arms, legs, and body. Even so he refused to give up, fighting and raging back and forth, until his head too was engulfed by the darkness, his defiant roars cut off.

And then the shadows contracted sharply, muffled cracking of displaced and escaping air – and perhaps more than that – echoing into the night. Illya's smile faded and her eyes narrowed, and Nrvnqsr Chaos began to laugh.

And then night turned to day, a blazing pillar of light and energy erupting up into the sky with the thunderous roar of displaced air. Nrvnqsr Chaos stared wide-eyed at the pillar, his shadows flickering back around him as though in pain.

Now it was Illya's turn to laugh.

"T-that's impossible." Nrvnqsr Chaos gasped. Kneeling on the ground between him and the child was a swarthy figure with a long mane of unruly hair, breathing heavily. And then slowly, it raised its head, mismatched eyes and grinding teeth glaring angrily at Nrvnqsr Chaos.

"Oh?" Illya asked. "I'm impressed. To think you managed to kill Berserker twice…I underestimated you."

" _Twice…?_ " Nrvnqsr Chaos thought. " _What does she mean by that?_ "

"Do you know Greek mythology?" Illya asked while prancing childishly around with her hands clasped behind her back. "The hero Heracles finished twelve labors as punishment for his sins, and was rewarded with immortality as a result."

Illya paused, her eyes narrowing and her grin turning wide and bloodthirsty. "That's my Berserker's Noble Phantasm, God Hand." She said cheerfully. "A curse of immortality that gives him life for every labor he finished."

Nrvnqsr Chaos trembled, and shakily took a step back. "Go, Berserker!" Illya shrieked, and with a roar Berserker charged.

Nrvnqsr Chaos ground his teeth and roared as well, though puny in comparison to Berserker's. His shadows bloomed and threw themselves at Berserker, but they broke like water against rock on his skin. "WHAT?" Nrvnqsr Chaos shouted as Berserker bore down on him with his axe held two-handed, his eyes glowing and his roar drowning out the vampire's shout.

Shadows moved as fast as thought into a dome over Nrvnqsr Chaos, and held for an instant. And then it broke, Nrvnqsr Chaos screaming as he was ripped into two. "NOOOOOOOOOOO…!" he shouted as he crumpled, his shadows collapsing and imploding back into him. In the next instant, Berserker's axe crushed the eye of the singularity, the combined force of the implosion and Berserker's raw power blowing a crater several feet deep around the swarthy giant.

As the debris began to clear, a small figure loomed out of the clouds of dust, and then Illya walked up to the crater edge. She stared down at her Servant, which slowly rose and growled reassuringly at her. Illya smiled smugly. "Good riddance," she said before turning to walk away. "That's enough for tonight though. Let's go home, Berserker."

Berserker growled his agreement, and then vanished into astral form. For a few more moments Illya's form could be seen walking through the drifting clouds of dust, and then she too was gone.

And elsewhere in the shadows, a tall, cloaked and hooded figure watched Illya's departure through a glowing sphere of magic.

* * *

A/N

Noodlesandrice: to be fair, he just had a bad run-in with a Servant (he would have been gutted if not for Avalon) and Arcueid's roar had just broken windows in the surrounding area and blown Saber through a wall. I'd think he'd be too pumped-up with adrenaline to be aroused by her walking around largely only in her underwear.

Wiereird: it's a draw, albeit in Arc's favour. Arc is really good in one-on-one fights where her plus one stats play best, even if she is only at thirty per cent power (the other seventy per cent is largely-spent on restraining her bloodlust).

Wellis: thanks for the tip. I looked it up and yes, while their father is an alien from the Moon, the True Ancestors are actually 'large fairies'. That makes a certain future plot point a whole lot easier.

Edited: June 01, 2017.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 9

The morning dawned over Fuyuki City bright and sunny, the Sun shining down from a clear blue sky. Green leaves danced softly in a morning breeze, while clean water sparkled in the morning light. Birds chirped as they perched on tree branches, or flew through the air in search for food.

The suburbs lay quiet in the morning light save for the sounds of nature, along with the odd vehicle or pedestrian here and there. The Emiya property was no exception, the traditional Japanese-style property sitting in the middle of the suburbs, dark wood, white stone, and clean paper basking in the morning light.

As the birds chirped in the excitement of the morning, their innocent sounds woke a young man from his slumber. Fumbling for a bit under his sheets, Shirou Emiya eventually peeked out from under his blanket before flinching and squinting at the light pouring through the open doors. "That's bright." he complained before closing his eyes and turning over. "Did I go to the toilet last night? I must have…I'm sure I closed the doors before I went to sleep."

Shirou yawned and blearily glanced at a clock above the doorframe. "It's still too early." He murmured. "Just a few more minutes…" Shutting out the sounds of the birds outside, he turned on his side and gently grabbed the nearest pillow to pull it closer. It gave a muffled moan in response.

 _Wait, what?_

 _When did pillows moan?_

 _And why is it so warm? And since when did I have a body-sized pillow?_

…

…

…

 _AND WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE BARE SKIN?_

Shirou squeezed the pillow, and it gave another moan. It snuggled up to him, and Shirou's eyes shot open as he felt hair tickle his chin. He looked down and to his horror spotted Arcueid Brunestud curled up like a cat against him. What's more, she'd discarded her yukata and was dressed only in a… _very_ sheer slip of white.

 _Where did she get that?_

 _And more importantly his hand was…_

Shirou's scream shattered the morning peace and scared the birds away.

* * *

"Huh?" Sakura Tohsaka remarked from where she was closing the gates of the Emiya property behind her. "Did…was that…sempai…?"

Back in his bedroom Shirou had shot like an unwound spring out of his bed and back against the wall, while Arcueid blinked awake. Getting up to a sitting position she stretched and yawned, scratching at her cheek like a cat, her fangs glinting in the morning light. It would also be understatement to say that her stretching plus her nightwear was anything less than enticing.

Shirou glanced down at his lap and grabbed a nearby pillow – thankfully it had been thrown aside as he had jumped out of his bed – and planted it firmly over his lap. "Good morning." Saber remarked, sitting in a nearby corner.

Shirou glanced in her direction blankly before letting out a loud and somewhat long yelp of surprise (again). "W-w-w-w-what are you doing here?" he demanded, pointing a finger back and forth between Saber and Arcueid. "No, scratch that, why are you both in my room? In the morning…?"

Saber coughed primly. "It is a Servant's duty to protect the Master." She replied with a distrustful glance at Arcueid. "I was on watch during the previous night, when I noticed our…guest, slipping from her room into your room. However, despite how…inappropriate, her slipping into your room and bed is, I did not wish to disturb your slumber short of something truly…scandalous."

"Huh? What?" Arcueid yawned, her mind still asleep.

Shirou groaned and let his face fall into his hands. He should have seen this coming after Arcueid had introduced herself…and he'd decided to sleep it over before thinking deeply about it.

" _Arcueid Brunestud…?" Shirou echoed and his face and voice incredulous. "As in the White Princess of the True Ancestors…?"_

" _The one and only…!"_

 _Shirou stared at Arcueid. Then he stared at Saber. Then he stared back at Arcueid. And then he glanced at a glass of ice water sitting on the table in front of him. He took it and splashed it over his face._

" _Master…!"_

" _Boy…!"_

" _Nope, I'm definitely not dreaming." Shirou said dully. "And don't call me that, I have a name it's Shirou Emiya."_

" _Shirou…Emiya…?" Arcueid echoed. Saber was silent, and Shirou took out a handkerchief and began to wipe at his face._

 _Shirou sighed as he put the handkerchief down. He then glanced at Arcueid. This was the last of the True Ancestors? A rather…unusual, if pretty young woman…? Well she certainly had the strength to be one, if she could fight a Servant – and if Saber was to be believed – and one of the more powerful classes at that._

 _Though, she could also be a Servant claiming to be the White Princess. On the other hand, Saber did say Servants could feel the presence of other Servants so…_

 _Shirou sighed again. His life had suddenly become so complicated. Granted, being a magus – or even a spell-caster really – was complicated in itself, but compared to now…now, he was involved in a blood sport over a 'wish machine' calling itself 'the Holy Grail'_ _ **and**_ _was hosting a True Ancestor – well, the last one left – in his house._

 _He glanced at Arcueid. "So," he said. "White Princess…"_

" _Call me Arcueid."_

" _Okay…Arcueid-san, can I help you?"_

" _What?"_

" _No, it's just that…well, you did say your business in Fuyuki is to hunt down the two other vampires loose in the city, but…well, here you are."_

 _Arcueid smiled, and raised a finger to tap him on the lips. Shirou blinked, and then gaped as Arcueid latched onto an arm. "You interest me." She said. "I don't really need help, but I'll accept it if it's from you."_

" _Please refrain from inappropriate words and actions over my Master, White Princess." Saber said sternly. Arcueid glared at her, but Saber simply glared back. "I know of your kind, White Princess. The True Ancestors, the first vampires, children of the World and the King of the Moon…"_

" _We did not choose to be vampires." Arcueid growled, her fingers tightening around Shirou's arm. Shirou glanced at her in alarm._

" _Arcueid-san," he said, and she blinked in surprise. She glanced at him and then away._

" _Sorry."_

 _Saber stared for a few moments, and then she sighed. "My apologies," she said. "It seems that I spoke rudely. Truly, as you say, it was not your choice to become vampires. It is a circumstance of birth, a flaw in your very being, and while some of you chose to embrace it, most from what I know chose sleep eternal as opposed to losing themselves."_

 _Arcueid stared at Saber for a few moments, and then nodded. "Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to talk more about this." Shirou suggested after another moment. "I mean, we or rather you two were fighting it out just a while ago. A night's sleep could help clear things up, and the same could be said about me."_

 _This reference to his near-fatal encounter with Rider caused Saber to look away in thought, and the same went for Arcueid. Though in the latter's case, she was wondering if she had the time to find that other Servant and mark him for trying to kill Shirou._

 _No, she_ _ **had**_ _to find him. He mentioned a 'bloodsucker', and even if it wasn't certain it was Roa, she had to make sure._

 _And besides, Roa or not, it was her job to make sure Dead Apostles didn't get_ _ **too**_ _uppity._

" _Very well," Saber agreed. "As you say, spirits might still be high from earlier. A night's rest will help greatly in settling things down, allowing for rational thought in the morning."_

 _Shirou nodded with a relieved smile. He glanced at Arcueid, who also nodded in agreement. "Right," he said, and got to his feet. "Shall I show you to your guest rooms?"_

" _It would be better suited for your protection if I slept in the same room as you, Shirou."_

 _Shirou's thoughts came to a grinding halt. "What?" he said._

" _Hey wait," Arcueid pre-empted Saber's response. "Why do you get to sleep in Shirou's room?"_

" _It is for his protection." Saber answered the vampire. "What interest is it of yours?"_

" _Anything that concerns Shirou is my interest!" Arcueid insisted. Saber narrowed her eyes._

" _Why?"_

 _Arcueid smiled at that. "What interest is it of yours?" she threw Saber's words back at her. "Don't worry, I don't plan on hurting him in any way, much less turn him into a Dead Apostle."_

 _Saber tensed as Arcueid got to her feet, approaching a nervous Shirou and circling him like a curious feline. "I doubt Shirou will be Shirou as a Dead Apostle," she said before her face turned hollow. "And if he dies, then…then the dream ends."_

" _Dream…?" Saber echoed, Shirou looking just as confused as she sounded. Arcueid did not respond immediately, opting to look at her in silence for a moment._

" _Don't worry," she said. "I don't want him to die either, even if I don't really know why yet."_

 _There was silence for a moment, and then Shirou coughed. "Anyway," he said. "I'm not going to sleep with anyone, that's just improper. But…! I suppose you could take the rooms next to mine."_

 _He paused and glanced at Saber. "There's a bounded field that detects intruders around the property." He said. "I'm sure either of you can get to me fast enough from the next room if someone breaks in, right?"_

 _Saber was silent, and so was Arcueid. After a moment, Arcueid glanced at Saber from the corner of her eyes, and smiled at Shirou. "Of course I can." She said, immediately latching onto him again. "So long as she doesn't stay in the same room as you, I can sleep in the next room just fine."_

" _So she said last night._ " Shirou thought. " _But she snuck in anyway…both of them…_ "

Shirou sighed, and looked up to where Arcueid was beginning to get her mental faculties up to speed and was looking at Saber with veiled territorial displeasure. Saber was impassive, giving no indication that she either noticed or felt threatened. Shirou sighed again. " _What's next, Fuji-nee or Sakura walks in on this?_ " he thought. " _How the hell do I…?_ "

"Sempai…?" he heard Sakura calling from down the hall with the sound of approaching, sock-clad feet.

 _Oh no…_

Sakura quickly strode up and looked through the open door and took everything in with one glance. Shirou sitting against the far wall, a pillow held seemingly to cover _something_ under it (in his lap). A blonde…woman, was sitting in a rumpled futon, wearing a very revealing slip of white. Another blonde woman, dressed in simple if formal wear, was sitting in a corner. Nothing about the scene indicated anything…torrid, had happened but still.

It _was_ _ **his**_ bedroom.

"Sakura, I can explain." Shirou said, breaking out in a cold sweat as Sakura's eyes seemed to go blank.

"Oh, sorry." she said softly. "It seems I interrupted something interesting. Don't mind me I'll be taking my leave. See you in school, sempai."

"Hey wait!" Shirou said, stumbling up and running after Sakura who had turned and left down the corridor. …Sakura, wait!"

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Sakura said while sitting at Shirou's table, the owner of the house sitting opposite her. Saber was seated nearby while Arcueid was watching TV (it was showing morning cartoons). "You got attacked by Rider and accidentally managed to summon the Saber Class Servant of this war, who managed to keep you from getting killed."

"Yes!"

"And after Saber chased Rider off…"

"She did not!" Arcueid suddenly burst out. " **I** chased that…other Servant off!"

"I see." Sakura replied, trying to keep from meeting Arcueid's eyes while respectfully facing her in response. Arcueid raised an eyebrow at the response, her irritation at having something that she did getting credited to another replaced by curiosity at Sakura. "After the White Princess chased Rider off, she and Saber proceeded to brawl with each other, and you barely managed to stop them from going all out."

"That last part is a bit of an exaggeration…"

"You mentioned it looked like space was…folding, around the White Princess even as Saber charged her Noble Phantasm. I'd bet half my family's wealth that the White Princess was about to unleash her Marble Phantasm."

Shirou felt the blood drain from his face. Sakura sighed. "Sorry," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. With that said though,"

Sakura paused and leaned closer. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time you've met the White Princess?" she asked.

"Well that's…"

"That's because it isn't." Arcueid cheerfully put in. "We met a few nights ago. I was looking for the Tenth, when I found Shirou here getting torn apart by the Tenth's beasts. I killed them, then while I was going to make for the Tenth, I discovered that not only was he alive and recovering, he wasn't turning either."

Shirou grimaced as Sakura's expression turned to a mix of incredulity and anger. "Thanks a lot Arcueid-san." He said.

"You're welcome."

 _Doesn't she recognize sarcasm?_

"So let me get this straight," Sakura said again. "You ran into the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, and didn't tell me afterwards?"

"Yeah, I kind off, um, forgot."

" **YOU FORGOT…?** " Sakura exploded before calming down and mentally counting to ten. "How the hell did you even survive? No scratch that, how have you _not_ turned?"

"I don't know!" Shirou said in exasperation. "I know and remember getting torn apart by those…things, as if you could forget having your guts ripped out, but somehow here I am! And no, I'm not a Dead Apostle or anything. I doubt Arcueid-san wouldn't have killed me if that were the case."

"He's right." Arcueid said, moving to sit right next to Shirou and latching onto an arm. "It's one reason why I'm interested in him."

"Any other reasons…?"

Arcueid grinned. "That's a secret." She said.

Sakura sighed. "I don't know whether or not to pity you." She said. "You've got the most powerful being on the planet interested in you, one way or another for some reason."

"Thanks…I think."

Saber suddenly glanced towards the veranda at that moment. "A Servant is approaching." she said. "But who would approach in open daylight?"

"It's just Archer." Sakura replied. "I asked him to come over."

"You what…?" Shirou remarked aghast.

"What?"

"Things are hard enough explaining things to Fuji-nee with Arcueid-san and Saber around but your Servant…"

Sakura mentally counted to ten again, and pinched the bridge of her nose (again). "Leave Fujimura-sensei to me." She said. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Sakura…"

"Oh relax sempai, as if I'd ever hurt her."

"Well…?" a blonde man in a white shirt under an open black jacket over black pants and boots remarked as he walked over the yard. Apparently, he jumped over the wall. "What's so important I had to rush over here in such an unseemly fashion, Sakura Tohsaka?"

"King of Heroes," Sakura said, gesturing to Arcueid. "The White Princess of the True Ancestors, Arcueid Brunestud."

"Oh…!" Archer remarked, going from mild annoyance to cheerful delight in an instant. "Well this is a cause for commendation! I had wanted to meet with you, last and greatest of the Guardians of Nature!"

"I didn't want to be the last." Arcueid remarked dryly. "And who are you?"

Saber however was staring at Archer with concealed horror and trepidation. He was acting differently to be sure – less arrogant (though still arrogant) for one thing – and also looked different, but if Shirou's friend Sakura was to be believed, then this was her nemesis from the previous war, the so-called King of Heroes.

 _More tyrant than king._

"Hmm…normally, I would take offence at not being recognized." Archer remarked. "No matter how long the passage of time, I remain King and should be recognized as such, no matter the extent of the degradation of my kingdom and people. But, I suppose I do not appear as I should at present, and of course, as a Guardian of Nature you are usually…detached, from the affairs of men."

Arcueid stared impassively at him, and with a grin Archer drew himself up. "I am Gilgamesh!" he proudly declared. "I am King of Heroes, Master of Mankind, Lord of the World and All its Treasures! I slew the giant Humbaba, and defied the rule of the gods to lay down the foundations of the Age of Man! I travelled the world in pursuit of immortality, and raised the city of Uruk of brick and bronze, the palest shadow of her King's glory!"

"So the first recorded hero," Arcueid said, her eyes briefly shifting gold as she 'read' Gilgamesh through the World. "And you have answered this girl's call, and returned to the world."

"Indeed," Archer replied. "I seek to test the other heroes in this contest, to have them prove themselves worthy of the title 'hero' before they may claim the Grail. Only one such worthy may be granted the honor of holding such a treasure."

"Is that so?" Arcueid said with a small laugh. "Well I don't really care about that piece of tin the magi are fighting over, but,"

She paused and gazed sternly at Archer, who met her gaze evenly. "I won't let Shirou come to any harm." She said. Archer's lips curled.

"The boy…?" he asked. "What is your interest in him, White Princess?"

Arcueid smiled. "Who knows?" she asked, and Archer laughed.

"Very well, keep your secrets guardian." he said before turning to Shirou who briefly flinched in surprise before meeting Archer's crimson eyes with his golden ones. They were the eyes of a predator, and one that could kill him in the blink of an eye with a whim, but Shirou didn't falter. Fear…fear, was something almost alien to him, after the experiences of his youth.

"You have spirit, boy." Archer finally said with a grudging note of approval. "Steel as well, perhaps you are a worthy friend to my servant here."

"Servant…?" Shirou echoed with a glance at Sakura. She shrugged, as though saying 'what can you do?'

"Speaking of servants," Shirou decided to press on. "Saber's explained the Holy Grail Wars to me, and I was wondering…"

"Yes…?"

"Sakura, you knew all this, didn't you?"

Sakura sighed and nodded. "Yes, I knew about it." She said. "The cycle of wars, the Grail, the Masters and Servants, and everything else: my family was one of those who started everything, along with the von Einzbern and the now-extinct Matou."

"The Matou…?"

"They used to be magi, but their bloodline has withered." Sakura said, leaving out the fact that she was supposed to be the next Matou magus until…until catastrophe struck.

"And you didn't tell me this?"

"In my defence the Holy Grail War was not supposed to happen for another forty years." Sakura replied. "I don't know why it's started early, or whether or not it's a good thing, but it is here, so I might as well make the best of it."

Shirou crossed his arms and hummed to himself. "No," he eventually said. "I think that's just an excuse. Though, I guess we really are friends, aren't we?"

"Huh?"

Shirou smiled knowingly. "You didn't want to drag me into the war, didn't you?" he asked. "That's why you didn't tell me."

"T-t-that's…"

Shirou smiled triumphantly, but it quickly vanished as Archer spoke up. "While I'm glad that you two friends match well," he said, leaning on the doorframe. "Even with the best intentions, friends shouldn't lie to each other. You see, that's where it all starts, hiding things from each other. It starts out with good intentions, but all it does is set a precedent for friends to start going behind each other's backs. Do you really think friendship will endure like that?"

"Some things aren't meant to be shared." Sakura said softly. "Even among friends…"

"A fair point," Archer conceded. "But your friend is a magus. It is inevitable that he would be dragged into the war as he resides in this city. And it has been ably demonstrated by Rider's near-fatal assault."

Sakura looked horrified at that, while Shirou glanced at Archer in surprise. "How do you know about Rider?" he asked.

Archer glanced at him. "Obviously Sakura Tohsaka told me along the way here." He said. He then glanced back to Sakura, who was looking utterly thunderstruck. "Lies aren't just distortions of the truth or falsities. It also covers the hiding of necessary truths. As you said, even among friends or even family, some things are not meant to be shared. But if you hide something unnecessarily, even if you did not distort the truth, simply promoting ignorance is a form of falsity in itself. In other words: a lie."

Sakura glanced away at that, biting at her lip. Archer narrowed her eyes as she spotted Sakura clenching her fists. "The bitterest truths are still sweeter than the sweetest lies." He said, and she closed her eyes.

"I know." She said in a tone of absolute certainty. "I will never forget. And which makes this lapse, all the more unforgivable."

Archer stared at her for several more moments before looking away. "Yes," he said. "I can see that."

 _So child, what lies blinded you so, that you understand those words?_

 _After all, Human beings can only ever truly understand that which they experience. Simply knowing is never enough._

"Sorry, sempai." Sakura said. "It might have been good intentions on my part, but in the end, I still lied to you."

"Hmm," Shirou scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "That's not necessarily true…"

"If I had told you about this war," Sakura interrupted him. "You might not have been attacked by Rider. Or even if you were, you might have been better prepared and not come so close to death."

"Yeah, but that's just the thing isn't it? The keyword there is 'might'."

"A fount of optimism, aren't you boy?" Archer said with a laugh. "There's a good attitude. No one who ever doubted in his abilities and chances has ever succeeded."

"See, he's interesting isn't he?" Arcueid asked, and Archer shrugged.

"On the other hand though," Saber remarked. "Overconfidence has gotten plenty killed over the ages."

"True," Archer conceded. "But one must also keep in mind that for the overly-cautious, everything is impossible. Children do not learn to walk without stumbling more than a few times along the way. Learn your limits, surpass them, learn your new limits, and surpass those as well! Never stop walking forward, never stop aiming to be better, and be all you can possibly be! Such is evolution, the perfection of Humanity which the gods could never understand!"

Saber raised an eyebrow at that. " _He…he is different. A different King of Heroes than the one I fought ten years ago._ " She thought. " _But still…let me see more before I pass final judgment._ "

Shirou and Sakura, while hearing Archer's words, left it for the future. Sakura was bitter over the consequences of her lies (or at least hiding the truth), and Shirou was remembering something Rider had told him.

… _my Master told me to kill you. Apparently she's got some beef with that woman of yours, so she wants you dead to stick it to your woman where it really hurts._

Shirou blinked and then narrowed his eyes in realization. "Sakura," he said. "Do you or your family have enemy or enemies who might take advantage of this war to finish a vendetta?"

"Huh?" Sakura responded in surprise. "Well, the Edelfelt have some…negative, history with us, but it's not that bad. Why do you ask?"

"Rider said that his Master has a grudge against you." Shirou said. "Apparently, the whole reason I was targeted was because they wanted to get at you."

Sakura ground her teeth and slammed her fist down on the table. "Damn it!" she said angrily. "I don't give a damn if they hate me or my family, but like hell they're getting away with going after my friends! Damn it! And what's worse, they came so close to succeeding, all because of me! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Calm down Sakura." Shirou said. "If you have time to act…well, unlike you, then you should have time to think about what to do next."

Sakura took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yes, you're right." She said. "This isn't like me at all. Though perhaps that's a good thing, in part…"

"What?"

"A wake up call," Sakura replied, biting at a thumb. "I've never worked to my best, unlike…well, never mind that. But perhaps I should start doing so, if only to keep my friends safe."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Rider and his Master," she said thoughtfully. "Who could they be, and what does the latter have against me or my family that they'd go after me and my friends?"

"I don't know." Shirou said.

"Well," Arcueid pitched in. She flexed her free hand, her claws extending and flashing in the morning light. "Here's an idea: find them and kill them. I'll even do it for you, if only to get back at them for trying to kill Shirou."

 _I'll kill them for trying to take away the dream._

"Easier said than done," Sakura replied. "Magi are very good at hiding, sometimes even in plain sight. And you should focus on hunting Michael Roa Valdamjong…"

Sakura was cut off as the front door slammed open and close. "Shirou…!" a woman's voice echoed loudly through the house. "Sakura…! It's breakfast time!"

Sakura and Shirou glanced at each other, and rising to their feet (Shirou prying Arcueid off his arm), went off to confront their teacher before she caused things to get even more complicated than they already were. For a while, the two Servants and the True Ancestor sat in silence. And then Archer turned to glance at Saber. "So," he said with a knowing smile. "What have you concluded about me, Saber?"

* * *

A/N

Actually, yes, Gilgamesh in the Nasuverse helped precipitate the eventual end of the Age of Gods and the beginning of the Age of Men. His creation was supposed to extend (for how long is unclear) the Age of Gods, but Gilgamesh rejected them and in so doing ensured their decline and downfall. Ironic, considering how much he despises the modern era, but considering his vision of Humanity's future in Fate/Extra perhaps the modern era is just the 'darkness before the dawn'.

On the other hand though, given the Nasuverse can be as grimdark as Warhammer 40,000, Humanity's ascension is probably less likely compared to the dead end of Angel Notes, which is the likelier end for Humanity. Along with the world of _Tsuki no Sango_ …

Ever the optimist, eh Shirou…? And is it just me or is Saber in some ways just as tsun-tsun as Rin is?

Sakura dislikes lies, which is ironic considering that magus society is dependent on a lie (the common man must not know magic exists), though the 'why' won't be revealed for a long while yet. You are of course, free to guess the answer.

Edited: June 01, 2017.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 10

"What?"

Archer tutted in response, an index finger wagging chidingly in the air. "My dear Saber," he said in a playfully-mocking tone that together with his gestures, made Saber bristle. "Did you really think that I, whose conquests in the bedchamber were of such magnitude that the gods themselves were forced to intervene, would not notice the hot gaze of a woman upon my glorious self?"

"Are you mocking me?" Saber snarled, and Archer raised a blonde eyebrow.

"So you say," he replied. "And yet you have the impudence to judge the King."

Saber looked taken aback, and then Archer fixed her with his blood-red eyes. "Furthermore," he continued. "You do me a great disservice. The world I lived in was a far harsher place than it has since become. One who lacks keen perception of their surroundings would not have survived, much less come to rule the world as it was in its youth."

Saber briefly lowered her face, and then raised it once more. "I see." She said. "It seems I underestimated you, and all fault belongs to me. You are the King of Heroes, and I should have taken your legend into consideration. But, I will not apologize for seeking to judge you."

Archer's lips twitched with amusement. "Oh?" he asked.

"While our Masters are currently not hostile to each other," Saber said. "And a possibility is very much in the air for an alliance between us, even then you would remain a potential enemy. I have offered my sword to my Master, and bound my fate in this Holy Grail War to his. I will do what I must."

Archer was silent for a few moments, and then he burst out laughing. Saber narrowed her eyes, but after a few more moments, Archer waved his hands dismissively. "Well that was rude of me," he said. "But, such a spirit you possess, my dear Saber. And I certainly cannot deny your defense of your impudence, though impudent it remains."

Archer tilted his head curiously. "Won't you tell me, Saber," he began. "What your name is?"

Saber was silent, and after a few moments Archer closed his eyes and laughed softly. "So you will not answer." He said, reopening his eyes. "So be it, I will suffer this defiance. I will find out soon enough, when you use your Noble Phantasm."

Archer narrowed his eyes, his smile turning predatory. "The Saber Class is said to be the overall strongest Servant." He said. "And your spirit…yes, you remind me of a lioness, pure and noble, with will and strength in equal measure to uphold her pride and honor. I trust you will not disappoint when the time comes, Saber."

Saber tilted her head, her eyes narrowing by fraction. "With respect, King of Heroes," she said. "I prefer to see myself as a lion, and not as a lioness."

Archer raised an eyebrow curiously, but stayed silent as Saber gave a polite bow, her eyes closed. "Rest assured, I will strive to exceed your expectations, King of Heroes." He said. "It is only due honor."

Archer laughed softly and nodded. "That will suffice to answer my earlier question." He said. "So be it: I will hold you to your word, Servant Saber. I will expect a worthy foe when the time comes."

"Likewise, King of Heroes."

* * *

"Fuji-nee," Shirou began, heading off the surprised Taiga as she made her way towards the living room. "Listen, we…!"

Shirou was cut off as a pair of slender arms snaked up from beside him, and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Yeah, sorry about this sempai," Sakura began. "But maybe I should do the talking for now. Now then, Fujimura-sensei, I promise that you'll get a full explanation before breakfast is over, but for now please bear with us."

Taiga blinked, lost for words at the out of character behavior of her students. "Sakura, what are…?" Shirou began as he shook himself free of Sakura's restraints, only to get an elbow to his gut. Granted, a pained-looking Sakura had to rub her elbow afterwards, but Shirou shut up.

"Please sensei," Sakura asked. "Just bear with it for now, please?"

Taiga blinked again. "Uh," she said. "Okay, but what's going on?"

In response, Sakura led her and Shirou to the dining room, where Taiga was met by the sight of three foreigners. One of them was a prim-looking girl with blonde hair tied up in a bun, with green eyes and dressed in a blue and white dress that looked like something of a fairy tale. There was another blonde with shoulder-length hair, with unusual blood-red eyes, dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt and a long purple skirt. The two of them were seated at the table.

Leaning against the wall was a third foreigner, male this time, with spiky blonde hair, and again, unusual blood-red eyes. He wore a white shirt under an open black jacket, and black pants. He looked curiously at them as they entered, a reaction he shared with the other foreigners.

"The girl in the dress is Saber." Sakura said quickly. "She's an associate of the Emiya family."

 _It wasn't a lie she_ _ **was**_ _Shirou's Servant after all._

"The young woman opposite her…"

Archer and Arcueid alike raised eyebrows at the distinction between 'girl' and 'woman' for Saber and Arcueid respectively, but Saber didn't so much as bat an eyelid. "…Arcueid Brunestud," Sakura continued. "She's also an associate of the Emiya family."

She then gestured – with a small but respectful bow Taiga curiously noticed – at the blonde man leaning against the wall. "And that one is…Archer," she said with a slight pause, the man's lips twitching with amusement. "He's an…a patron, of my family."

Archer's smile grew at that, and he nodded seemingly indulgently. "I know this looks very suspicious," Sakura said, almost pleadingly Taiga noticed, which only served to dampen her temper and fuel her curiosity instead. "But as I said earlier, I promise you'll get a full explanation before breakfast is over. For now, please bear with it."

Taiga stared for a few moments, and then drawing herself up crossed her arms over a chest. For a minute or so she mulled over the situation with her eyes closed, and then with a sigh she opened her eyes and uncrossed her arms.

"Alright, alright," she said. "This whole thing is very suspicious to me, but I trust you two. So I'll 'bear with it for now', as you ask me to. But I **am** getting the truth of things, got it?"

"Got it." Sakura and Shirou chorused, and then Shirou firmly put a hand on Sakura's hand.

"Let's talk about this." He said. "In private."

Sakura sighed. "I knew you were going to say that." She said before being pulled away, the blondes looking at them as they left. Inwardly, Taiga mused that everyone left was blonde, though her hair was a darker shade of blonde – very light brown in fact – compared to the three foreigners.

"So," she began, taking a seat at the table. "Can I get a head start on what's going on here?"

Archer snorted and shook his head. "No," he said. "I think it's best to let them explain it. From the sound and look of things, you're very close to those two, aren't you?"

"I guess I am." Taiga said with a slight blush. "Come to think of it, they didn't introduce me, did they? They must have forgotten it in the rush."

"They're just children." Archer said with a shrug. "Older children yes, almost full-grown, but still children for all that. It's best to just let it go, and it's not like what they'll explain is a trifling matter."

Taiga nodded. "I noticed." She said. "Anyway, my name's Taiga Fujimura. Officially I'm Shirou's legal guardian, and I'm also their English teacher at school."

"Ah, a teacher," Archer said with evident respect. "A most noble profession, imparting knowledge to and honing the minds of the young."

Taiga giggled at that. "That was very poetic, and a little flattering, Mister Archer." She said.

"Perhaps," Archer said with another shrug. "But it is also the truth."

"What happened to Shirou's parents?" Arcueid suddenly asked. "I can smell your scent on him, and from that it looks like you've raised him since he was a child."

"I…I'm probably not the one best suited to answer that." Taiga answered uncomfortably. "Let's just say that his…father, died several years ago, and that he was the only parent Shirou knew. Ever since then, I've taken care of him."

Archer and Arcueid were silent, but Saber spoke up soon after. "And what is your relation to Shirou, that you were made his legal guardian?" she asked.

"I knew his father." Taiga replied. "My family was a business associate, and well, even before Kiritsugu – Shirou's father – died, I'd taken on the role of an elder sibling for Shirou."

"I see." Archer said with a slow nod. "Based on that, you were best suited to care for him after his parent died."

Taiga nodded, and silence fell between them. Taiga for her part was now beginning to doubt that these people were actually 'associates' of the Emiya family, though Archer being a 'patron' – whatever that meant though Taiga didn't dare think of the less…savory, connotations of the word – was still a possibility. Sakura's blue eyes weren't exactly common in Asia after all.

"And that Sakura girl," Arcueid asked. "What about her?"

"She's a good friend of Shirou." Taiga replied. "They've been friends for years now, though nothing more than that."

"I see."

"They seem very close though." Saber observed. "Enough that the girl comes into his home unchaperoned and seems to have free reign."

"Well Sakura-chan is a very responsible girl." Taiga quickly remarked and with some heat. "Shirou trusts her, and so do I. And she hasn't done anything to make it seem that trust was misplaced."

Saber raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. She did however, give a subtly-apologetic bow at Taiga.

"And," Taiga continued with a sigh. "It's not like there's anyone else in Shirou's circle of friends who can understand his situation. There's no other orphan he knows after all."

 _Well, technically Shinji is an orphan, but while they are friends they're not really that close either._

Silence fell again, all present understanding that things were getting too close to private matters that could and should only be discussed by the subjects themselves, or with their express permission. After several moments, Archer pushed himself off the wall before walking in a relaxed fashion to stand on the veranda outside.

"Well," he said. "Those two will return soon enough. And after what was said earlier, I'm sure they'll say what needs to be said. And then you'll be able to understand the way things really are."

Taiga looked curiously at Archer, but he didn't say anything. Arcueid did. "They have secrets." She said softly.

"Everyone has secrets." Saber said after a glance at Archer's back. "And there are some things which one is free to hide within themselves, even between friends and family."

She paused and glanced at Archer, who stayed silent. "But," she said. "There are also some secrets which should not be kept secret between those bound by blood and friendship."

* * *

"Are we really going to tell Fuji-nee about, well, our double life?"

Sakura stared at Shirou for several moments. "Please don't use that description." She said. "It sounds, I don't know, dirty? Anyway just don't say it."

"Yeah," Shirou said after a moment's thought, rubbing his head. "I guess it comes off as something illicit, like we're having an affair or something."

Sakura coughed. "Going back to your question earlier," she said. "You don't think we should?"

"She shouldn't know, should she?" Shirou asked. "I mean, isn't one of the rules of our world that normal people shouldn't be allowed to learn that the supernatural exists, except in the vaguest terms? Now, personally I think the reasoning is a bit selfish, what with Conservation of Mysteries and all, though in other ways it is justified…"

"But allowances are usually given to family." Sakura said with a worried glance at Shirou. "It's not unusual for well, _spares_ or certain relatives despite not being taught how to use their powers, but are still allowed to learn of our world's existence. And also,"

"Yes?"

"Isn't it better that she knows?" Sakura asked. "After our talk earlier, we have to consider that seeing as you're a Master, and she's essentially the only family you have left…"

"She might become a target?" Shirou asked darkly, his fingers clenching into fists.

"Magi in general are a greedy and amoral bunch." Sakura said softly.

 _I know that quite well._

 _Yes, in the end, even we were just a means to an end for him._

 _Even mother…_

Shirou growled and looked away. "And that's not all." Sakura said. "The Serpent of Akasha is out there. He won't have reason to specifically target her like an enemy Master might, but she should still be careful regardless. But the important part is that as family, she deserves to know what you're risking your life in."

Shirou's eyes widened, and then he lowered his face in thought. "It's not just the war, is it?" he asked softly. "It's about magecraft in general too. Magi walk with death, isn't it?"

"Yes." Sakura said sadly. "I, I'm sorry."

Shirou looked at Sakura curiously, who rubbed an arm uncomfortably. "I should have told you about the Holy Grail War." She said. "In hindsight I should have…"

"You already apologized." Shiro said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "So it's alright. Apology accepted, so let's move on."

Sakura nodded, and smiled weakly, and Shirou smiled wide for the two of them both. "Alright," he said. "Shall we go and tell Fuji-nee about the, well, secret world?"

Sakura nodded, and the two magi returned to the living room.

* * *

"Then," Taiga said as Shirou and Sakura returned, and took a seat at the table. "What's this all about? Now Kiritsugu probably had foreign connections I knew nothing about, and the same goes for Sakura-chan: those blue eyes aren't natural for Japanese."

"What?" Sakura and Shirou chorused.

"Is there something shady going on here?" Taiga said with a sigh, scratching at her head. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm no stranger to shady stuff you know, my family are a bunch of gangsters after all."

Eyebrows rose at the blunt admission, though Taiga just gave a deadpan expression in return. "What?" she asked. "It's true. Going back to the main topic, I'm fairly sure that shady stuff is involved. So, how bad is it? Is it massive debts being called-in bad or Sakura got pregnant and now your families are clashing over it bad?"

Shirou's eyes went wide and he began to choke on his own spit trying (and failing) to respond. Sakura was gaping like a fish, one hand on her forehead. Archer looked amused, Saber slightly less so, while a suspicious Arcueid sniffed at the air. "No," she said. "She doesn't smell pregnant. And while I can smell her scent on Shirou, it's not that way."

Taiga glanced at Arcueid at that, but before she could say anything Shirou had regained his ability to speak. "NO!" he shouted. "Why would you even think that? Especially the 'Sakura got pregnant' bit? Do you really think I sleep around like that?"

"Well you're a healthy young man, and Sakura's a healthy young girl who happens to spend a lot of time at your house. Even if there's no romantic relationship involved, 'friends with benefits' or 'experiments' could be a thing."

There was a banging sound as Sakura's forehead struck the tabletop, while Shirou spluttered his denials at Taiga. Sakura lifted her face, but kept her head on the table. "I'm really touched by the amount of trust you have in me, sensei." She said.

"Aren't you contradicting what you said earlier, Miss Fujimura?" Saber remarked. "You mentioned that your wards are responsible. And yet now,"

Taiga waved it off. "By responsible," she said. "I meant they were responsible enough to be aware of any consequences an illicit relationship would involve, and that they would have to face them should they become reality."

"I see. That's, a valid argument."

"That's enough." Shirou said firmly. "I've never had sex with Sakura, **EVER** , or with any girl for that matter."

"I haven't had sex with anyone either." Sakura put in, her face flaming as she sat up. "Gods damn it, why did the conversation come to this?"

Archer cackled with amusement, though he didn't say anything. "Fine, fine," Taiga said. "Though you have to admit, it's not like it's a completely invalid line of argument. Is it?"

"No," Sakura said slowly, and Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Look, I'll explain right now what's going on. You might want to relax Fuji-nee, it's going to take a bit, and well, you're probably going to be more than a bit shocked."

Taiga rolled her eyes. "I'll be the judge of that." She said. Sakura and Shirou traded glances, and then the former shrugged and crossed her arms.

"It's all on you now, sempai."

Shirou sighed, and began to talk. He told her that magic existed, the basics of how it worked, and why it had to be kept secret. He told her about magi, and the many organizations they were part of across the world.

He talked about the difference between True Magic and Magecraft, and of the supernatural world outside of the magi. This included the vampires, their split aristocracy (between the near-extinct True Ancestors and the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors), their creator the Crimson Moon, of the Phantasmal Species, and the Holy Church.

He then explained how he had originally learned magic from his father, and that he'd continued practicing what little he knew on his own even after Kiritsugu had died. He explained when and how Sakura had discovered he was a magus, and that she helped him refine his skills further.

Finally, he talked about the Holy Grail War, and how seven magi with their Servants would fight for the chance to offer a wish to the Holy Grail. And finally he talked about the Serpent of Akasha, the rogue vampire lord at large in the city, and how Arcueid – the last of the True Ancestors and rightful ruler of the vampire race – was here to hunt him down.

By the time Shirou was finished, nearly two hours had passed, and it was clear no one in the house was going to school for the day, and breakfast would probably be brunch. Nevertheless, as the time passed, Sakura noticed that Taiga, initially wide-eyed and slightly open-mouthed at what she was hearing, had slipped on a carefully neutral and expressionless façade. Not even her eyes gave a hint what she was feeling.

"Are you finished?" she asked once Shirou had finished speaking.

Shirou blinked. "Yes." He said, with evident confusion, and then his eyes widened as Taiga slowly but firmly grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him closer to her side of the table.

"What's with this magic bullshit?" Taiga asked with a throbbing vein on her forehead. "Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? You know what I think, I think the two of you have fallen into some kind of a 'bad crowd', and this is some kind of initiation ritual or something. Well, onee-chan won't fall for it, no she won't! She won't let her sweet little brother and his underachieving girlfriend turn into glue-sniffing criminals…!"

Sakura face-palmed as Taiga went on a clearly denial-fueled rant, spouting nonsense and ignoring Shirou's attempts to try and calm her down while shaking him up like a rag doll. Saber looked on, apparently unperturbed so long as serious injury wasn't in the making, unwilling to get involved in a family matter.

Archer just looked amused.

Arcueid looked concerned, but Archer's gesture for her to wait caused her to stay silent with only a confused expression in response.

 _Why?_

"She's in denial." Sakura said with a sigh. Taiga, still ranting, didn't notice. She did notice however, the flickering of light as Sakura began projecting something in her hand. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as Sakura projected a picture-perfect figurine of Taiga herself, posing with a thumb up in the air.

"W-w-w-w-what did you just do?" she said in very high-pitched voice.

"Magic." Sakura replied, flicking the figurine with a finger, and causing it to shatter into light. "Sempai, you're better at projection than I am. Show her."

Still a bit shaky from being shaken around by Taiga, Shirou glared reproachfully at his sister before holding out a hand. "Trace on." He said, golden light flickering and then shaping into a lattice flashed before leaving a solid steel rod in his hand. Archer's eyes widened and then narrowed in quick succession at the sight.

The King of Heroes was no magus, but he knew perfectly well how magic worked, maybe even better than most magi.

"So…it's…all…true?" Taiga gasped out. "It's…magic…it's not a cult or gang or secret society initiation ritual?"

"I don't even know where you got those ideas from." Shirou deadpanned.

"Or the glue-sniffing bit from earlier." Sakura put in.

"But yes, it's all true." Shirou carried on. "Magic that is. We don't sniff glue, or are part of some cult or gang or secret society. Though the Mages Association could be considered a secret society. In that case, we could be considered members…are we?"

"You're not, I am." Sakura said with a sigh. "Supervisor, remember?"

"Right, right."

"So," Taiga said, looking very pale as she pointed a finger first at Saber then at Archer. "They're 'Servants'. Reincarnated, legendary heroes from the past who fight each other to get a chance to have a wish granted, and you do the same only against other mages?"

"Yes."

Taiga took a deep breath, and then shakily pointed at Arcueid. "She's the vampire queen." She said laconically.

"Princess!" Arcueid corrected instantly. "I'm the White Princess. Trust me, you would not want – and I especially don't want – to become queen. It won't be pretty."

 _If I did, I'd become just like father._

 _I don't want that._

"Okay, but you're a vampire. The strongest of them all, their ruler."

"Yes, I'm the strongest, and yes, I guess that last bit is also true, though I was actually made to kill vampires who went of control, it's just that I'm a Brunestud so…"

 _Is this what 'confusion' is?_

 _What an interesting feeling, though I don't really like it._

"And one of those out-of-control vampires is now in the city?"

"Yes." Arcueid said with a shrug. "In fact the other day I killed a bunch of his Dead, though I couldn't sniff him out afterwards. Don't worry, I'll catch him, and kill him, like I've always done. He'll probably come back in a generation though, and I'll have to find him and kill him again when that happens."

Arcueid then turned to Archer with a grateful smile. "Thank you by the way." She said. "That Chaos was a pain, so thank you for getting rid of him. Though I have to, apologize, I guess, that you had to deal with trash like him, King of Heroes."

"What?" Archer said. "That monster killed people, _my_ people. Justice is mine to deliver, and likewise vengeance to claim."

"I see."

Taiga breathed deeply a couple of times, and ran a hand over her face. "Fuji-nee," Shirou began hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Taiga laughed, disturbingly high and shrill. "Nope." She said with a sickly grin, before her eyes rolled back and she keeled over.

"Fuji-nee!"

"Fujimura-sensei!"

The two magi rushed over in concern, Arcueid padding over curiously like a cat, while Archer looked on with mild amusement. Saber pressed her fingers against Taiga's neck, and then with a hand on her chest checked her breathing and heartbeat.

"She's alright, she's just fainted." She said. "I imagine it was too much for her."

Sakura and Shirou traded glances, while Arcueid knelt down and started poking at Taiga's unconscious body. "Well that could have gone better." Sakura said, and Shirou sighed before noticing what Arcueid was doing.

"Sakura," he said, reaching down and taking a surprised Arcueid by the hand led her back to the table. "Can you take Fuji-nee to a spare room?"

"Yes, yes."

* * *

A/N

The talk between Gil and Saber is short, but in the end I decided not to have them beat around the bush and get straight to the point, i.e. Saber doesn't trust Gil (yet) while Gil has high expectations of Saber as the strongest Servant (class).

Not too happy with Taiga's POV to be honest, she's proving as hard as Kotomine to write, and that's saying something (thinking like a sociopath is neither easy nor happy for a normal person). Yes, he's a sociopath. He does openly admit that he gets off (sort-off) from people's suffering. He's probably the kind of sick bastard who'd enjoy running a concentration/death camp, but enough about that.

Taiga's a bit cracked, though I think that bit in the end is fairly in-character (especially since she basically had one hell of an info-dump). The one in the beginning (the Sakura got pregnant bit) I'm not so sure, but oh well, no one's perfect.

Edited: June 13, 2016.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate or Tsukihime it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Moonlit Fate

Chapter 11

"Well," Sakura said, returning to the living room. "Fujimura-sensei's asleep, in her usual room where she stays in whenever she spends the night here. She should wake up in about an hour or so."

"How do you think she'll react to, well, everything we've told her?" Shirou asked as Sakura approached.

"Good question," Sakura said. "She might think it was some sort of bad dream, but it's also likely she'll realize it isn't. Maybe both: she'll think it was sort of strange dream at first, but when she realizes the time and, well, who's in this house right now, then she'll probably figure out that yes, everything we've told her is true."

Shirou stayed silent for a bit, and then he sighed. He glanced to one side, where Arcueid and (surprisingly) Archer were watching more cartoons (or rather anime). "And then what?" he asked, turning back to Sakura.

Sakura shrugged. "She'd probably try to start over," she said slowly. "Ask for a refresher on what we told her earlier, along with clarifications and things like that. She probably won't act like she did earlier, but then again it is Fujimura-sensei we are talking about."

Shirou grimaced slightly at that. After a moment though his stomach grumbled, and Sakura giggled. "Oh that's right," she said. "We never did have breakfast, did we?"

Sakura began to walk into the kitchen, Shirou getting up to follow her as well, Saber following them with her eyes. "At this time though I don't think it's breakfast anymore." Sakura said, opening an overhead cabinet to begin bringing down some china.

"Then what would you call it then," Shirou asked from where he was riffling through the refrigerator's vegetable cabinet. "Late breakfast or early lunch?"

"Too wordy," Sakura said with a laugh. "How about brunch?"

Shirou laughed too and nodded. "It fits." He said. "So what do you want to cook?"

Sakura paused in thought for a moment, and then glanced at the three blondes in the adjacent room, Saber stoically sitting at the table, and the King of Heroes and the White Princess of the True Ancestors watching anime on the TV. Sakura smiled and turned back to Shirou. "In deference to our guests," she said. "How about some western food for a change? It'll have to be somewhat heavy though, given the time."

Shirou nodded his agreement. "It's not a bad idea." He said. "Though seeing as Archer-san is who he is, we'll have to cook the best meal we can, don't we?"

"Naturally," Sakura said with a nod of her own. "Alright, I'll get started on preparing, and well, first of all, thinking of what to cook. In the meantime, do you mind telling the school that, well, Fujimura-sensei's fallen ill, and can't go to work today? And that we have to keep an eye on her?"

Shirou blinked. "I don't mind but," he began. "Why don't you do it?"

"Well for one thing it is your house that Fujimura-sensei is sleeping in." Sakura replied. "And for another thing, you're her ward. Either way, it's more appropriate for you to call instead of me."

Shirou made a sound and scratched the back of his head, but nodded his agreement after a moment. "I guess I can't argue with you there." He said, already turning to walk to where the landline was. "Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't push yourself though, when I get back I'll help you think up and prepare brunch, alright?"

Sakura laughed and nodded. "Yes, yes." She said.

* * *

"Now that we've dined for the morning," Archer began as he lounged at the table while Sakura and Shirou were busy soaking the dirty china, utensils, and kitchenware in the sink. "We should address our other issue."

"What's that?" Arcueid asked, slumped sleepily against the table.

"The Holy Grail War of course." Saber said.

Arcueid blinked, and then pushed herself upright. "Are you going to fight in the war?" she asked, turning to Shirou.

Shirou didn't answer at once, rinsing his hands first and wiping them before approaching. "Well," he began. "I guess I am."

"Why?" Arcueid asked, while Archer slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Well for one thing Saber accepted my summons, didn't she?" Shirou said hesitantly. "And from what I know of how Servants are summoned, the Heroic Spirit in question has to accept the summons, otherwise it would fail. Since Saber trusted me enough to accept my summons, I don't want to betray that trust by not fighting, even if I don't really have any wish for the Grail, nor do I even want to right. Especially since I owe her my life."

"Rider," Sakura growled, approaching the table as she did so. Saber narrowed her eyes, as did Arcueid who actually growled. Archer however, just looked thoughtful.

"Very well," Archer conceded after a moment. "As you say, Saber trusted you enough to answer your summons, and from what Sakura Tohsaka tells me, arrived just in time to save you from Rider's assault. You have my compliments there, boy. Even if you did lose the battle and nearly lost your life, Humans – even magi – would not normally last long if at all against incarnated Heroic Spirits. That you managed to defend yourself to an extent, enough to summon – if accidentally – Saber here, is worthy of recognition."

Shirou looked taken aback, and Archer smiled. "T-thank you." Shirou said with a polite bow, Archer's smile widening.

"But going back to my point," Archer began. "It is certainly meet that you return Saber's trust in you by fighting alongside her, and it is just as meet that you repay your life debt to her."

Shirou nodded, but then Archer's eyes narrowed. "But," he said. "I do not believe that you have no wish for the Grail."

Shirou's eyes widened. "What?" he asked.

Archer gestured with a hand at Shirou's command spells. "The Grail would not have granted you command spells had you no desire that you could present to it to be granted." He said. "You may not recognize it as a wish, but certainly, you have a burning desire or desires for one thing or another, and that is enough."

"But I…!"

"Tell me, Shirou Emiya," Archer interrupted sternly. "What is it that you want most in life? What is it that you would do and give anything to achieve or gain? Answer, and you will know what it is that you wish for."

Shirou looked down in thought, while Sakura looked worried. Archer narrowed his eyes at her briefly, knowing that she knew what her friend wanted most, would wish for, but for some reason, feared it.

 _Why?_

Archer returned his gaze to Shirou, and softened his expression. "Perhaps you do not know what it is?" he asked with a similarly-softened tone. "If so, then you should not have to deny it. Admit your ignorance, and in doing so take the first step to correcting it. You cannot learn when you yourself do not admit the need or desire to learn."

Shirou took a deep breath, and nodded. "No," he said. "I know what I want. But it's not something that the Grail could grant. Weill, it might be able to grant it, and it probably saw it as my wish, but I don't need or want the Grail to grant it. If it did, then there's no point."

Archer smiled with veiled approval. "A commendable opinion," he admitted. "And? What exactly is it that you wish for?"

Shirou drew himself up, his eyes meeting Archer's own. It was certainly impudent, but Shirou wanted to look at the King of Heroes in the eyes when he said this. The King of Heroes after all, was the first and greatest of heroes, and earlier had mentioned or rather recognized the steel of Shirou's spirit.

And while Shirou didn't normally care much for how other people thought of him, considering what it was that he wanted most, he wanted to show that steely spirit once more, when he spoke of his dream and ideal. After all, Archer was the King of _Heroes_.

"I want to be a hero."

Archer's eyes went wide in surprise. This was _not_ something he'd seen coming. "What?" he asked.

Saber's eyes narrowed slightly, while Arcueid looked troubled. "I want to be a hero." Shirou repeated, his eyes bright and eager, lips smiling likewise. "Just like my father before me, I want to save someone. If I can save at least one person, like my father saved me, then I'll be content."

Shirou briefly closed his eyes, and then nodded. "Though," he continued. "I'll try and save as many people as I can. That's what it means to be a Hero of Justice, after all."

Archer looked stunned, Arcueid and Saber pained, and Sakura sad. And then Arcueid shook her head, her blonde tresses flying. "Oh Shirou," she said. "You really think saving people is what it means to be a hero, don't you?"

Shirou looked at her in surprise before narrowing his eyes in resolve. "There's nothing wrong with helping or saving people." He said.

"I didn't say it was." Arcueid said. "I'm just saying that's not what it means to be a hero."

"Then what is?"

"I don't know." Arcueid answered, to Shirou's surprise. "But I'm sure it's not about saving people. If it was that, there wouldn't be any heroes."

"If it was that, you'd have failed already." Saber said, Shirou's head turning quickly to look at her.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You told us all how you came across that vampire lord, Chaos or something." Saber said, before narrowing her eyes. "If saving people is what makes heroes, then you've failed, because you couldn't save the people in that building."

"You can't save everybody, Shirou." Sakura murmured.

Shirou looked down at the table, remembering the apartment block where the Tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor had gone on rampage. He remembered the mangled corpses, the pools and trails of blood, the abominations that made up the ancestor's body tearing at them and at him…

…and he remembered ten years ago, walking through a sea of fire, ignoring the pleas and cries for help all around him, wanting only to save his own life…

…and most of all, he remembered that haggard face looking down at him in the rain, those empty, broken eyes, and that desperate smile, as though the savior had been the one that had been saved.

And he remembered that summer night, when his father had told him of his dream.

 _When I was young, I wanted to be a Hero of Justice._

Shirou clenched his fists. "No!" he growled. "Even if I can't save everybody, that won't stop me from trying. Everyone deserves a chance to be saved when they need to, and I'll do everything I can to make sure they get that chance! I…!"

"Shirou," Arcueid murmured sadly.

Sakura closed her eyes, while Saber shook her head. "You're only going to hurt yourself, Master." She said. "The path you seek promises nothing but suffering. Its sole fruit is ruin."

Shirou snapped towards Saber, his eyes ablaze, but Archer's voice – all the more impressive given how soft it was – cut through the tension like a knife through butter. "Enough," he said. "If he wishes to save people, let him try. At the very least, he admits he cannot save everyone, don't you, boy?"

Shirou briefly looked down, but then he nodded, and raising his head met Archer's eyes again. "I do." He said. "It doesn't mean I won't do everything I can to try."

Archer smiled and nodded. "You're going to need every inch of that steel, boy." He said. "But, know this: saving people isn't all there is to being a hero. It's part of being one, but it's not what it means to be a hero. And neither is justice: indeed, saving others, and delivering justice in need of it, are _results_ expected of a hero. But when all is said and done, what it means to be a hero is something else, something simple and yet profound."

Shirou blinked when he heard this, and gathering his resolve narrowed his eyes. "And what's that?" he asked.

Archer's smile widened slightly. "Impudent, aren't you?" he asked. "To be a hero is to carry the weight of the whole world on your shoulders."

Everyone on the table looked surprised at that, even Shirou. Arcueid's eyes were wide, while Sakura and Saber's mouths hung slightly open. "W-what's that supposed to mean?" Arcueid asked. "You don't literally mean that, do you?"

Archer's smile turned smug, though not infuriatingly-so, and he swept the table with his eyes. "When you know what those words mean," he said. "Then you will have taken the first step on the Path of a Hero."

Chuckling at their confused expressions, Archer rose, picked up his jacket, and slinging it over a shoulder walked towards the veranda. "Sakura Tohsaka," he said. "Saber and I have previously reached an understanding on our expectations of each other. Based on that, adjust our strategy accordingly. Until you have need for your King, I take my leave."

Nodding at the gathered teenagers and the single vampire, Archer vanished in a swirl of golden motes. "What was that supposed to mean?" Shirou said. "A hero carries the weight of the whole world on their shoulders?"

"I don't know." Sakura said, while Saber and Arcueid alike shook their head. Sakura sighed, and smiled a small smile at Shirou. "Though, while it seems the King of Heroes invited all of us to try and understand what he meant, as the one who wants to be a hero among us, I think you're the one really meant to understand it."

Shirou nodded, and Sakura's smile faltered. After a moment she sighed again, and squeezed her arm with a hand. "Sorry." She said, and Shirou looked at her in surprise.

"For what?"

"For not backing you up earlier, and…"

"No, it's fine." Shirou interrupted, patting Sakura on a shoulder. "I mean, it's not like it's the first time you've tried to convince me to 'grow up', as Fuji-nee puts it. I understand you only mean well, so it's fine."

Sakura nodded silently, and Shirou smiled at her. "Don't worry about it." He said.

"It's expected to worry for your friends, isn't it?"

Shirou laughed. "I guess so." He said. "Just don't let get to you."

Sakura's smile returned. "I won't." she said.

"So," Arcueid began. "You're really going to fight in this war."

"Yes." Shirou said with a nod.

"You're going to try and be a hero, in this was and after."

"Yes."

Arcueid looked sad. "Heroes die all the time." She said softly. "And, you can't save everyone no matter how hard you try."

Shirou was silent, but after a few moments he sighed and nodded. "I know." He said. "But as I said to the King of Heroes, I'll still try, no matter what."

"But when you try and fail," Arcueid said. "Then what? What will you become, Shirou?"

Again Shirou was silent, and after a few moments gave Arcueid a smile. "I'll be who I'll be." He said. "We are our choices, and we can always choose to take a better path."

This time it was Arcueid's turn to be silent, and to speak up after a few moments. "Then why don't you?" she asked. "I don't want you to die. And your friends don't want you to die either."

Shirou again didn't answer at once, but finally did after a few moments. "Maybe I still can," he said. "What the King of Heroes said about a hero carrying the weight of the entire world…I don't think he meant it literally, but…well, he's the King of Heroes, and the first and the greatest. I should at least think over what he said. And maybe, I can find a better path there, and make the ideal reality."

"Shirou…"

"Don't worry." Shirou reassured Arcueid. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Arcueid blinked and nodded slowly. For some reason, 'being friends' felt unsatisfying to her. She didn't know why, and while she didn't let it show it bothered her somewhat.

Still, she couldn't and wouldn't say no either.

"Yes, we're friends."

"Then," Shirou said. "Let's make a promise between us here, even you Saber, just in case you decide to stick around after this war, to go and see the cherry blossoms together every year, alright?"

"Very optimistic, aren't you Shirou?" Saber asked.

"I never give up." Shirou replied, and Sakura nodded.

"No, you never do." She said with a smile. "And you _always_ keep your promises. So alright, let's go see the cherry blossoms in spring together, shall we, Shirou, Arcueid, and Saber?"

Arcueid happily nodded. "I'd like that." She said with a bright smile, while Saber nodded, though she didn't say a thing, at least for a few more moments.

"Moving on," she said. "About the Holy Grail War situation, what shall we do? Will we be allies, or not? Or will we have another arrangement, a compromise between those two?"

"I'm fine with an alliance," Sakura said. "But the King of Heroes likes to fight one on one, or so it seems. He would not appreciate anyone interfering in his battles. And I daresay the same goes for you, Saber."

Saber nodded. "So what did you have in mind?" she asked.

"We'll only come to each other's aid when asked." Sakura said. "Otherwise we won't interfere in each other's battles. Servant battles at least: I'm not standing by and let Shirou get pummeled by superior enemy magi."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Shirou said dryly, before smiling to take the edge off. "But I guess I can't deny against most magi I don't really have good chances of winning a fight. And I certainly won't stand by and just watch as Sakura gets pushed around either, by superior enemy magi."

Shirou winked cheekily at Sakura, who laughed softly and nodded. "I'll prepare familiars to keep us all in touch with each other." She said. "But most importantly, we won't confront each other on the battlefield until the very end of this war. Then we can finish this as equals."

Saber and Shirou nodded their agreement, but then Arcueid leaned forward. "What about you, Sakura Tohsaka?" the vampire asked. "What is your wish? You and we heard Shirou's, so what about yours?"

Sakura didn't answer at once, but when she did it caught them all by surprise, and silenced them all. A silence broken only by the ringing of the phone afterward.

"I don't know."

* * *

" _Ah I've finally found you._ " Kirei's voice said over the phone. " _I tried to phone you earlier this morning, quite a few times in fact, but you weren't answering. I assumed you went to the Emiya boy's residence, but since I knew you'd have been busy cooking or eating breakfast at the time I decided to wait until later in the morning and contact you through your school instead. Imagine my surprise when I found out you were absent for the day._ "

"Yes, well," Sakura said. "Fujimura-sensei's come down with something, and Emiya-sempai needed some help looking after her."

" _I see._ " Kirei said. " _I suppose that is an acceptable excuse._ "

"Quite," Sakura said. "So, what's so important you've been trying so hard to reach me?"

" _Sarcasm doesn't become you._ " Kirei reproved. " _Especially since you_ _ **know**_ _that there are things going on right now in this city that are that important._ "

"Get to the point Kirei."

" _Roa attacked last night._ " The priest said, and Sakura's heart froze. " _I'll tell you the details later, but a large number of Dead have gathered at the following address_."

Sakura listened as Kirei gave the address, and swallowed dryly. "And?" he said. "Will that priestess be there?"

" _Bow has decided to follow the trail left by Roa._ " Kirei said. " _Naturally, she's deferred 'cleanup' to us._ "

"I am not going to drag the King of Heroes out to cleanup. Talk about disrespectful!"

" _I knew you would say that._ " Kirei said, and Sakura could almost see the smile on the priest's face. " _But, this could also be a trap._ "

"What? How?"

" _And for what purpose?_ " Kirei added. " _It may be that Roa seeks to eliminate Bow's supporting forces, in short_ _ **us**_ _, and have Bow drawn away with a false trail. And then while we're cleaning up, he pounces and takes us out._ "

"And you want us to spring it?"

" _The Dead have to be taken care of._ " Kirei said. " _And if the King of Heroes is present, even if it is a trap, I doubt Roa would last long before he's either killed or forced to flee…if he can._ "

Sakura didn't reply, and after a few moments Kirei continued. " _Well,_ " he said. " _Given you and the King of Heroes' recent encounter with the Tenth, and your previously-stated desire to live up to your responsibilities as the Supervisor of this territory, I thought you might want to know, and get involved. I'll be waiting outside the site until about two in the afternoon. And yes, I'll be more than capable of taking care of this myself, even if it is a trap, enough to get out at least while there's sunlight. Well then,_ "

Sakura stared at the phone as Kirei's end went dead, and after a moment replaced it on its mounting. For a few moments she just stood there, thinking, and then with a sigh went back to the living room where a bemused Shirou was teaching Arcueid a child's game.

"Alright," Sakura said. "I've got to go out and deal with something. Shirou, you should stay here and wait for Fujimura-sensei to wake up."

"Okay," Shirou said with a nod. He paused, and then asked a question. "What's this all about?"

Sakura glanced at Arcueid. "Roa attacked last night." She said, and their eyes widened. "He's gone to ground, but a lot of Dead have holed up along the river in the underground tunnels. They have to be cleared out of there."

Arcueid stood up immediately. "I'm going with you." She said with a tone that brooked no disagreement.

"Of course you are." Sakura said, though as usual she made an effort to avoid actually meeting the vampire's eyes. "It's not like I could say no."

Arcueid nodded. "Will you be alright?" Shirou said. "I know I can't come with you since Fuji-nee needs looking after, but,"

"I'll be fine." Sakura said. "I'll have the King of Heroes with me, and the White Princess, and my guardian. He's a retired Executor, just so you know."

"Yes, you've told me before." Shirou said with a nod. "But that wasn't what I was worried about."

"Oh?"

"Will you really be alright? I mean, they're _Dead_ , that is they're the familiars of a Dead Apostle, so…so, I assume there's a lot of blood. And there's your…"

"I can handle that just fine." Sakura said, waving Shirou's concerns off.

 _I think._

Shirou sighed and nodded. "Alright," he said. "I guess all I can do here is trust you and those with you. And, I've never know you to break promises either, so remember our promise earlier, alright?"

Sakura nodded, but Shirou paused and glanced towards Arcueid. She looked back at him, and he smiled at her. "Watch out for my best friend, alright, Arcueid-san?" he asked.

Arcueid didn't reply at once, but after a couple of moments she returned Shirou's smile and nodded. "Alright," she said. "I will."

Shirou nodded at her, and then turned back to Sakura. "Good luck then," he said, getting to his feet to show to the door. "You're going to need it."

"I hope we don't have to." Sakura quipped along the way. "But thanks. I'm definitely coming back though. I don't plan on dying just yet, especially since I still have promises to keep."

"That's the spirit." Shirou said with a laugh. They arrived in silence at the door, where the girls replaced their shoes and prepared to leave.

"You'll be alright by yourself?" Arcueid asked as Sakura opened the front door.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Shirou said. "I doubt enemies will attack in the day, and even then, well, Saber's here. And you'll hopefully be back by dinner I suppose."

Arcueid's eyes seemed to harden at the mention of Saber, but she nodded. "We will." She said. "We still have to finish our conversation from earlier."

The two magi looked curious at that, and Arcueid's smile grew as she glanced to Sakura, who subtly turned her eyes away to avoid meeting Arcueid's. "I still want to know after all," she said. "What Sakura here's wish is after all? As the King of Heroes said, she could not have joined this war if she didn't have one."

* * *

A/N

Yes, Kirei knows about Shirou. Not that he's a Master (yet), but that he exists and that Sakura has him as an informal apprentice, he knows. And to be honest, considering Kirei's obsession with Kiritsugu, I'm rather surprised that he canonically didn't show any interest in Shirou early on. Though, I suppose he might have dismissed Shirou as unimportant after Kiri died, and only gained interest after Shirou became a Master.

No, no one outside of those who need to know or were there – Kirei, Sakura, RIN, and Kariya (because he was an old friend of the family) – know about the relationship between RIN and the Tohsaka. Shirou knows about Sakura's (lingering) haemophobia, but not how and where it came from. And it's not like he'll pry either.

I'll probably do another chapter for Taiga and Shirou, and another chapter for Archer, Sakura, Kirei, and Arcueid to clear out those Dead, and get some character development in. Or I'll blend them together. And then we get to the first 'real' confrontation of the war: Ciel vs RIN. Yes, I know there will also be a concurrent Rider vs. Lancer, but be honest: you could care less about that match compared to the one between Ciel and RIN.

Well, that's it for now.


End file.
